Worlds Frozen
by FirstSelector
Summary: Harry Dresden knows a thing or two about Winter and its Queens, but his expertise is put to the test when Mab sends him into an alternate reality and he meets Elsa, Queen of Arendelle. When her peaceful nation becomes the backdrop for kidnappings and murder, Harry and Elsa will have to solve the mystery surrounded by people who don't know the meaning of "private investigator."
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

One might think that living on an uncharted, haunted, and all-but-deserted island in the middle of Lake Michigan would make it easy to avoid business engagements. Of course, if that engagement is with the Queen of Air and Darkness, she will find a way to meet regardless of the location.

I hoped she just wanted to talk, as opposed to sending me off galavanting around tonight. I had woken up early this morning for a full day of adventuring in Chicago with my daughter Maggie, and she had made good use of that unique magic of kids to wear down their parents. It didn't help that we had to walk everywhere, as I had not yet replaced the Blue Beetle. The past six months had been a whirlwind of such adventures, so perhaps I should be used to it by now.

She was now asleep back at the Carpenter household with Mouse, while I was doing my best not to sleep while commuting back to my island. I had also not replaced my basement apartment in Chicago proper, and the old lighthouse here on Demonreach was my current residence.

Mab's boat was sleek and looked like it would win the Daytona 500 despite being made for water. It was staffed by several too-beautiful men and women in suits with creases that could cut cheese. They moved with unnatural grace, clearly marking them as Sidhe, the Lords of Faerie. Yet even they could not outshine their Queen, who stood on the dock itself looking intently at me as I approached.

_I suppose I should get used to this, until I can move off this island._ As pulled up next to Whatsup Dock on the other side, I realized that it wasn't Mab standing on the island, but Molly. The oldest Carpenter child flashed me an excited smile as I killed the engine, and I had barely tied off my boat when she ran up and squeezed me in a hug. "Harry! It's really good to see you!" she said.

"Good to see you too, grasshopper." That was an understatement, as I hadn't seen Molly in months. It was above my pay grade to know what her responsibilities were as the Winter Lady, despite the fact that my failure as a mentor was instrumental in her being forced into the job. However, she seemed to be handling her new life quite well, and we were on good terms. I worried endlessly about her long term status, and so it was good to check up on her.

I started walking towards the island, and she fell in step with me. The Sidhe on the boat ignored us, focusing their attention on the lake. "What brings you here, padawan?" I asked, trying to force some cheer into my voice. "How are things in Faerie?" I suspected that this wasn't just a friendly visit, but I held out hope that I wasn't about to be sent out galavanting around.

"Cold, as you might expect," she said with a sly smile. "Arctis Tor is made out of ice." I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. "I can't say more, and you know it. Mab keeps me busy, and I don't mind her assignments." I made a mental note to try to look into what the Winter Lady did, which I doubted Molly was capable of telling me. "I can tell you why I am here, however. We kind of need you back at Arctis Tor."

I sighed. _Mab knows that I worry about Molly, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any leverage on me right now._ Molly must have known, but she gave me an empathetic look anyways. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said quietly. "I want to hang out with you too, but it's important. I would be here even if Mab didn't ask me to get you."

My normal instinct to defy Mab's wishes faded somewhat, as I trusted Molly implicitly. I wasn't sure how much Fae had settled into her, but I wanted to believe that she wasn't manipulating me. Besides, it couldn't hurt to just go to Arctis Tor, and I could spend some time with her on the trip there and back. I gave her a suffering look, punctuating it with an exaggerated yawn. "Fine, I'll come and pay a visit. But this had better not be some big, complicated adventure. I'm tired and I want to sleep."

Molly nodded enthusiastically, but her smile seemed forced. As we walked back towards the boat, she started filling me in on the various escapades of her younger siblings. I had heard some of it already from Maggie, but I stayed quiet and just listened to my former apprentice. I thought it a good sign that that family was the foremost thing she wanted to tell me, but her eyes were distant and worried.

* * *

><p>I struggled to contain a laugh, as it would not be fitting for the queen to spray punch from her nose. With my luck it would turn into a barrage of punch-cicles that would go flying across the room, and most of the guests prefered their punch in liquid form. Unfortunately, my younger sister was making this quite difficult.<p>

It was two days until the winter solstice, and the most recent in a series of celebrations was a grand ball and feast. The feasts, concerts, and dancing started five days ago, and would culminate in an enormous bonfire at midnight of the longest night of the year. A tradition that only this year returned to the castle, dignitaries from all around joined in the festivities with the rest of Arendelle.

It was maybe not surprising, then, that Anna had managed to somehow end up swinging from the chandelier in the center of the ballroom.

_That looks fun, _I mused, holding my hand to my mouth as if to hide my smile. _If I could get a running jump…_ Hardly queen-like behavior, no matter how much Anna seemed to be enjoying herself. _Maybe after everyone goes home._ I glanced up towards the ceiling, and I realized I wouldn't get the chance - the chandelier rope was starting to stretch and fray dangerously.

I almost tapped into the swirling, stormy ball of wintry power in the back of my mind to forestall the coming disaster, but I didn't want to hit my sister. Working magic too near her was an exercise I would do anything to avoid. Instead, at the very end of the arc, the rope snapped, depositing her butt-first into the giant crystalline punch bowl with a large splash.

Once Anna was out of the way, I could freeze the remainder of the chandelier, preventing it from crashing to the ground and spraying glass everywhere. I extended my left hand, letting loose a torrent of power that created a pillar of ice with the chandelier remains frozen inside. The result was intriguing, as the transparent ice froze the falling lamp in motion.

I blinked, looking at my creation. Deep down, I had known that eventually my powers would be revealed. That moment, among many others, had haunted me since I had nearly killed my sister over thirteen years ago. I had been expecting to be called a monster, a freak, an aberration - terms I applied to myself on the worst days of my self-imposed exile. I wondered if my powers would prevent me from spending time with my sister ever again.

To my astonishment, I couldn't have been more wrong. The people of Arendelle had some reservations, especially after I accidentally froze the fjord, but by and large they had accepted me as queen. More importantly, Anna understood, and still loved me despite our childhood apart. It was with no small amazement, then, that I could so brazenly use my powers in front of people that I had feared for so long.

I pivoted at the sounds of splashing and coughing coming from the punch bowl. Anna was being helped out of the punch by her dance partner-turned-catapulter Kristoff, so I quickly turned my attention to the stunned and amused dancers. "My apologies for the disturbance, please carry on." A few people continued to stare wide-eyed at the new centerpiece of the dance floor, but many more let out bemused laughter and went back to dancing.

Then I rushed over to a shivering Anna, offering her my long purple cape to keep her warm. I had wrought the large bowl out of ice earlier in the evening, and the punch was nearly freezing. It was more than slightly alcoholic, however, and thus remained liquid. Anna's dress was soaked, and she was not nearly as resilient to the cold as I was. She took my cape gratefully, waving away my "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"D-d-did you see that?" she stammered, wrapped up and leaning on Kristoff for support. "I almost did a flip! But, uh, sorry about the chandelier." Giddy triumph was dampened slightly by cold and guilt on her face. I was confused for a moment, but I realized that she thought my worried look was for the lamp, not her.

"We can replace the chandelier, but instead, maybe it's time you invested some time into actual dance lessons." I couldn't keep a serious face for long, and the laugh that had been building up came bubbling out and we were both soon reduced to rib-aching laughter.

Wiping a tear of laughter from my eye, I looked up just in time to see a strange woman walk into the ballroom. She had flowing blue and green hair to her waist and a dress that seemed to be made of icicles in various shades of purple. _Several of those are almost transparent! Who would wear such a thing to a ball?_

The newcomer moved around the ballroom as though to music only she could hear, capturing every eye. Eventually she glided up to Anna and I with more grace than I could imagine, picking up my hand and kissing the back. "My name is Lady Johanna," she said in a sultry voice. "Your majesty, you are even more stunning than the stories describe."

As soon as I boarded the boat after collecting my staff and other gear, we started across the lake fast enough for me to proclaim "Ludicrous speed!" to the helmsman. Though my trip from Chicago was clear, we were suddenly engulfed in fog. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, and the only way I knew I was still in the boat was from the thrum of the engine through the hand-crafted leather seat.

When the fog cleared, we were calmly coasting down an underground river. Up ahead there was a dock made out of sparkling ice and lit by cold fire in lampposts. Steps up from the dock led to a massive door set in the cave wall that would have fit right in at Fort Knox. There were two truly gigantic ice trolls guarding the door, though they relaxed somewhat when Molly disembarked.

Molly led me through passageway after twisting passageway until we arrived at a large room with a long table running down the middle. The walls were decorated with maps of all shapes and sizes, annotated in precise handwriting. The table itself held two things of interest - a map dominated by a large, purple wall and three heads impaled on icicles. My weariness from the day's adventures was replaced by taut anticipation. "Is that what I -"

"Gee, you think, Harry?" Molly said with icy sarcasm.

I indicated the heads. "Who were they?"

Molly shrugged. "Big wigs around here, I think. I've come around this room when Mab was talking with them, but I never hear more than a few words." She leaned over to the leftmost head, inspecting it closely. "Yeah, I think she was some sort commander, I've seen her around the troops before."

This wasn't good. It was a well-kept secret in the mortal world that Winter guarded the Outer Gates, through which horrors known as Outsiders constantly try to pass. Mab's troops held the line, however, and prevent them from getting inside and ruining everything. I wasn't quite sure what would happen, but even Mother Summer - outrageously powerful and unable to directly influence reality - had made it clear how important it was that they didn't succeed.

When I looked back up, Molly had been studying my face. "I'm starting to get really sick of these freaks. Do you have any leads? How did they even get this far into Arctis Tor?" The Outsiders had collaborators on the inside of the universe, responsible for many of my headaches in the past few years. Their leader, Nemesis, infected them somehow, and they started helping the Outsiders instead. It was fiendishly difficult to learn more about the situation, as anyone could be an agent, and I had good suspicions that it was even more complicated than my simple picture.

"There's a few other things, though I don't really see how they are related. What do you know of the Nightingale?" she asked.

"Not much," I admitted. "She's a Sidhe sorceress, right? Goes by Jenalind as well, typical faerie predisposition to greens/blues and scantily clad dressing. One of the more powerful members of the court. I recall Sarissa mentioning her at one point."

"Close enough," she replied. "She vanished earlier today. Lastly, had you come in through the front gates of Arctis Tor, you would have seen that they are currently stuck open."

"Connected?"

"No, Harry, it's just coincidence that a bunch of bad stuff happens all at once." Molly looked to the side. "There's... one more thing. You sort of need to see it to believe it." She walked out of the room, and I had to follow quickly to avoid getting lost in Arctis Tor.

We moved up several levels, eventually coming to stand outside of a door imprinted with snowflakes in blue and green. Molly hesitated before opening the door. "I tried your tracking spell on Jenalind before Mab sent me out to get you. It seemed to run out of her room here, taking the fastest way out the front gates." She glanced at the door. "However, that was a ruse. If I had been even slightly less careful, I wouldn't have noticed that it was faked."

"What were they trying to hide?" I asked, curious. If _Molly_ had trouble sniffing this out, I never stood a chance at finding that deception. I was plenty powerful evocator and could whip up fairly complicated thaumaturgy, but my apprentice had me beat soundly in subtlety and precision.

In response, she opened the door. The rooms had been beautiful, once, with art and artifacts from around the world on bookshelves and walls. Now it was a disaster zone, the furniture and shelves carelessly knocked aside to make room for a magical circle on the floor. "Wow..." I breathed, unable to say more. I almost dropped my staff.

This was a seriously high-grade circle. I thought I had seen mastery of this sort years ago during my first trip to Demonreach, but even that was a crude sketch compared to this. Even calling it "a circle" was inaccurate - there appeared to be at least twenty interlocking rings of spellwork in some complicated pattern. Priceless jewels inscribed with runes, works of art, tuning forks, small clocks, and more stood at intervals around the rings.

I leaned down to inspect the art more carefully. Most of it appeared to be that of people traveling, people walking down roads or hiking through mountain passes. There were also several small crystalline doors, complete with handles and locks. The tuning forks were all vibrating quietly, making a beautiful resonance when my head was near the floor.

Closing my eyes, I extended my wizarding senses carefully around the circle. Sufficiently powerful wizards could simply open Ways between Earth and the Nevernever, seamlessly stepping through gateways between realms. There was a similar quality to those portals present here, although I had never seen anyone require a circle to stabilize the junction.

_I suppose you could make a circle, but… no, that's not quite right._ I leaned down again, carefully inspecting one of the doors. Such a circle would be far simpler, and wouldn't require any of these little sculptures. "Why all of this complication?" I muttered to myself. "It's almost as if it is trying to connect to a different endpoint than what is directly on the other side…" Another part of the spellwork caught my eye. "But this part deals in… pocket universes? No, not quite that either..."

A thought started to creep through my mind. I jerked upright, sudden understanding of some small part of this circle flashing across my brain. "No, Molly. That isn't possible." I shook my head, but my guess as to what would happen if I powered up this circle was becoming more and more concrete. "No. You can't use magic that way - it would just take you back to Earth... right?"

Molly stared at me, wide-eyed. "I don't know, Harry. I know it doesn't lead to a pocket universe, there would be echoes. And it can't traverse any appreciable temporal distance, there's not enough power." I have her a quizzical look, and she blushed slightly. "Mab's been teaching me some things. I wanted to understand last Halloween."

I gave her a smile. "Good for you, I wish she would answer my questions so readily." My brain kept racing as I looked back towards the circle. "So, it doesn't lead back to Earth, nor to another time." Insight struck, and I realized how this circle could work. _Too bad Bob isn't here, he'd nearly explode from excitement._ "If you modeled alternate universes as pockets off of our universe, though not strictly true, I think you could establish a connection."

My former apprentice nodded. "I was able to undo the confounding spell and traced it back here. The trail ends at the edge of the outer ring."

We both looked back at the circle. _Could it really be a gateway to another world?_ That defied reason. Though, in principle, though the universe is some sort of branching collection of possibilities, people can't just move between them. _Or can __we?_

I reached out with my will and hand, infusing the outermost ring with a small flicker of power. The whole assembly started to glow faintly, and there was a suggestion of a doorway in the middle. Then it died out.

"Harry," Molly looked afraid, suddenly. "Whoever forced open the gate did so with Outsider magic. Mab is making a show of leaving it open, but in reality we haven't figured out how to undo the spell yet. If they took Jenalind, who knows where that could lead?"

"It's similar, I think, to opening a Way. There must be some similarities to this room on the other side. That isn't to say it won't be dangerous, but I don't think this can connect directly to just anywhere." I thought for a second, then continued. "In fact, I bet it would be impossible to establish a connection between our world and… wherever this goes at more than one place."

Molly considered that, and I realized that I sounded way more confident than I felt. I put on my best Scottish accent, saying "Or maybe I'm wrong. Do you have some fellows in red shirts we can use to test the new transporter?" She rolled her eyes and laughed, and I joined her, the absurdity of what I was suggesting suddenly hilarious.

"If you are right, Scotty," she said, "then this portal is the only way back. Whoever took Jenalind can't risk getting stuck over there, so they have to play nice or worry that we'll screw up the portal." I didn't like the implication there, that I would be stuck in some alternate reality unless unspecified bad guys played nice, but Molly was likely right.

I let out a long sigh. _First Outsiders, now alternate realities. I wanted to sleep._ Instead, I walked over to the circle and drew in power. My staff started glowing greenish-white, and I touched the end to the outermost ring. The effect was immediate - the little doors started to rock back and forth as though driven by a great wind. The clocks all started spinning around wildly, and I swore I could almost see the people in the paintings start moving. Then, a doorway made of ice and filled with light faded into existence in the center of the circle.

"Ah'll be bahck!" I said in my best Arnold impression and stepped through the door.

* * *

><p>Thoughts that had lain dormant for years started churning in my mind. Pure desire, bolstered by years and years of isolation, spread like a fire in my chest. I felt light-headed, stretching out my hand to steady myself on my sister's arm. She immediately took my hand in hers, and said hurriedly "Oh, please excuse us - the queen is not feeling well after my, er, gymnastics."<p>

Anna strode from the newcomer. I followed, head still a haze of emotion and still blushing furiously. She led me far from the dance, to a bench near the back of the room. I flopped onto the bench and tried to control my breathing. Anna then left, saying reassuring words that I didn't hear.

_What are you, some young girl at her first dance?_ Well, practically. It wasn't like I have had much opportunity to dance in the past thirteen years. I hadn't had much opportunity to do much of anything exciting, in fact. _Maybe I should have worn the ice dress instead._ My cheeks burned even warmer thinking about that.

A sudden crack made me sit upright. The bench I was sitting on had become covered in ice. Not the needle-like icicles of fear, but flowing ice, all curves and swells. I had tapped into my power without thinking, and it echoed my emotions. Pushing the power away, I fought down a rising terror in my gut. _No no no, control yourself, Elsa._ I would _not_ lose control!

"Elsa, are you ok?" The concern in Anna's voice was palpable. "What's going on?"

I almost told Anna to go away, afraid that something bad would happen. I quashed that feeling too, refusing to give into old fears. "I'm... fine. I let my mind wander." I squeezed my eyes shut and I turned away. "I'll be ok, just give me a moment."

"How about I give you a chocolate instead?" I opened my eyes and and saw that she was holding a plate full of delicious-smelling desserts. She proffered me one. I took it, saying "Thank you, Anna." It was meant for both the chocolate and her support, and her smile she gave in response showed understood me.

As I started nibbling on the pastry, my sister sat down next to me. I tried to protest, but the combination of chocolate and her insistence meant that we were left sitting next to each other on the frozen bench. I could almost feel her compassion and worry, like heat rising from a fire. "I don't know what happened... suddenly, I just, well..." I blushed again, unable to continue.

"Oh Elsa, you're just lonely. And she's pretty! It's ok if you, you know..." Anna trailed off.

"Wait, what? It's not like that! I just couldn't think clearly for a second."

"Well, you're not the only one," said Anna. "She's been moving around, drawing everyone's eyes. I saw at least two men get slapped by their wives, and Gerda dragged Kai away before he even got a look!"

My brain was still cloudy, but looking around I saw what Anna meant. It wasn't hard to find Johanna, gliding around with unnerving grace. She drew everyone's eyes, turned some heads, and even caused a few people - men and women - to start towards her. At the dessert table, she lifted a chocolate to her mouth and ate it, somehow making the simple movement sensual.

Lady Johanna's blue and green eyes swept past me when she turned, and for an instant there was a smirk on her face. The torrent of emotions started again, and I averted my gaze before anything more embarrassing happened. I spent several moments banishing images of her from my mind.

I looked over at my sister, careful to not let my eyes wander too much. She was blushing and fidgeting with her dress, the same reaction when she got a particularly big smile from Kristoff. I thought she was breathing quicker, but it was hard to tell since Anna was usually running around. "Anna, did you just feel very strange all of a sudden?" I asked under my breath.

"Um, kinda? A bit. I feel a bit dizzy." She raised her hand to her forehead, a confused look coming over her face.

I felt movement on my hands and looked down, frowning. New frost had started to form near my fingers, though not nearly as much as before. It had been months since I had lost control of my emotions like that. It wasn't fair, this Lady Johanna coming in and just messing with everyone's heads.

_Messing with heads..._

Was that possible? I had grown up with magic, so it seemed entirely natural to me that I could twist ice and cold to my will. I had sometimes dreamt of finding other people with similar power, but I had never really considered the idea that power could take other forms. There were folk tales, sure, but I hadn't actually met anyone else.

My power was an essential part of me - despite all of the problems, it was still beautiful. It was also an extension of my will, and I would never use it to subjugate people. But, what if someone was less scrupulous than me? What if someone didn't see their power as beautiful, but instead as a weapon to wield against others?

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was standing up and there were blue swirls circling my left hand. "No, Elsa!" came Anna's voice. "It's not worth it, please!"

"Anna," I said through clenched teeth, "I think that woman is using some sort of mind magic against everyone."

Her eyes popped, and she slowly nodded. "She makes you... horny?"

"Yeah. And I'm not going to stand for it." I took a moment to collect myself, and walked over towards the dance floor. Lady Johanna was standing by the chocolate fondue, dipping the strawberries and giving altogether too-familiar looks to several nearby men.

I walked up to her, steeling myself for the oncoming rush of emotions and said, "Lady Johanna, would you be so kind as to follow me for a moment?" She turned lazily, giving me a smile that could set curtains on fire. "Certainly, your majesty." Her emotional assault came on her voice's heels, but I was ready for it and only felt the fraction of effects.

We walked a short distance away before I leaned down close to her, and in a soft voice growled "I'm not sure what you are doing to everyone's heads, but it is not welcome here. Take your tricks and leave my kingdom."

Lady Johanna frowned at that, shattering the emotional pressure. She then smiled, an altogether different smile. I had seen such smiles before, on pictures of wolves right before they devoured their prey. "Oh, Elsa... that would be too simple." She let out a cackling laugh, filled with hatred and scorn. It seemed to echo, somehow.

Involuntarily, I jerked back. Her voice and smile were unnerving, but the laugh was truly terrifying. _Control yourself, Elsa! Don't let it get to you!_ I wrestled with the storm inside, closing my eyes and trying to focus. Eventually, I forced it down and calmed myself before any of my power slipped away and caused destruction.

When I opened my eyes, however, the ballroom was covered in icicles. They formed off the ceiling, the walls, and the floor. The punch was a solid block of ice, and there was no way people could easily move around them on the dance floor. Anna stood near the chair, her eyes wide and filled with compassion. Everyone else, however, had wide eyes filled with terror - and Johanna had vanished.

_What have __I__ done?_

I rushed out of the room before anyone could say a word.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

Walking through the door was close to what I expected - a white wall of light and sound. What I didn't expect was that on the other side there would be a literal door, with frame, knob, and lock all made from ice. The door was standing wide open on my side when I stepped through.

I stuck my head back through the gateway and Molly let out a surprised yelp. "A door, cute. Do you have anything I can use as a doorstop?" She reached over and rummaged in a pile of clutter, pulling out a heavy bust of some Greek-looking man. I took it and propped the door open on my end. Only once I was sure I could get back did I notice where I was standing.

It would have been beautiful once, that much was certain. A huge vaulted room made out of solid ice was impressive, but one decorated with such detailed and beautiful geometric patterns was breathtaking. I mean, I had seen huge ice sculptures before in Arctis Tor - my birthday party last year had featured twenty foot tall paperbacks made from the stuff. But this room had a rushing beauty to it, as though its designer had released a great deal of pent-up creativity all at once.

Of course, much of that was masked by the icicles sticking out every which way from the walls and floor. What appeared to be a fallen chandelier occupied most of the middle of the floor, obscuring a large and intricate snowflake embedded in the ice. There were also chunks missing out of several spots in the walls. Taken all together, it looked like the remains of some climactic battle.

There was a large door-shaped hole in the wall near me, which led out onto a balcony. I started to walk towards it, carefully picking my way around the shards of ice on the ground. _Those were the doors_, I realized as I stepped over a piece. I silently thanked the powers of the Winter Knight's mantle for letting me move across ice without slipping. Once at the door, I saw that balcony railing was damaged, so I didn't walk all of the way out.

I was treated to a stunning view of mountains, and far away, sea. There was a delicate bridge that appeared to be made out of ice over a vertigo-inducing valley that was also missing some railing. Turning to go back in, I realized that the whole building was, in fact, a huge castle made out of ice. My jaw slackened and it took me a moment to collect my thoughts.

When I did so, a few things immediately stood out. First, I had charged across the doorway with barely a thought as to what was on the other side. Luckily, it appeared to be Earth, or at least Earth-like atmosphere and gravity. Second, in my haste I hadn't considered things like food or water. All I had was my staff, duster, and other magical gear, which I wouldn't want to eat.

Third, I hadn't even considered that this would be a trap. To rectify that, I immediately tried extending my magical senses and see what was going on. The resulting feeling was like licking a nine-volt battery - someone had really let loose with magic here some time ago, and I could still feel the after-effects. I shook off the feeling and let out a low whistle. This palace must have been created directly by magic itself, I figured, by a serious team of wizards and a lot of preparation.

Who would come here and destroy it, then? And what were they afraid of? There was fear in the air, too, enough that it was almost suffocating. I am far from the most sensitive wizard, but even with my limited ability I could feel that a lot of the nearby magic had been unleashed in fear. _I wonder if this was some wizarding stronghold, and they had their land stand here._

The bottom floor was just as impressive as the top, only it hadn't been destroyed. I admired the frozen fountain in the center, the delicate staircases, and the snowflake set into the ceiling before starting towards the front door. There was a large snowdrift blocking my path, and I made the huge mistake of trying to walk over it to get out.

My feet were seized by an enormous hand of ice and snow, and I was dragged upwards. The snow drift unfolded itself into a snow monster nearly twenty feet tall. Malicious green light glowed its eye sockets, and I found myself held only inches from a mouth filled with teeth of ice. My vision blurred from suddenly being upside-down, but I seemed that the monster was smiling.

It then let out a roar like a winter gale, complete with bits of snow and sleet. In response, I thrust my staff forward, shouting "_Forzare!"_ I flew from its hand, back towards the fountain, and it was knocked up against the doors. I hit the icy ground hard, and slid until I knocked my head on the fountain's base. The monster lost some snow for my effort, but was otherwise unscathed.

"Ok, Tiny," I breathed. "My turn." My head was still ringing from the impact, but the Knight's mantle let me shake off the pain. The creature was just picking itself up when I yelled "_Infrigia!"_ causing a flurry of icicles to fly from my hand and impale the monster against the door. Instead of holding it, however, Tiny simply slid forward around the icicles, leaving them stuck on the door.

I barely had time for an "Oh crap" before Tiny sprouted its own icicles all over its body, like some frozen porcupine, and rushed at me with a roar. I pointed my staff behind me, calling up a gust of wind with "_Ventas servitas!" _that sent me sliding across the floor between its legs. My clever maneuver earned me a cut across my arm, which for noticing I failed to stop before I crashed into the closed doors.

Tiny spun about, belching another blizzard at me. I stood up, put my back to the door, and spat "_Fuego!"_ causing a fireball the size of my head to fly from hand. Tiny put up a hand to block it, which was promptly vaporized. "I've always held with those who favor fire," I muttered.

I barely had time to gloat and duck before the fountain careened over my head, shattering the doors open outwards. I lost my balance, falling backwards and onto icy steps outside. Tiny leapt the distance between us, crashing down in front of me and causing the whole structure to rattle. I was hoisted in one frozen hand, pricked by a thousand tiny spikes. Tiny bellowed one last time in my face, and then threw me.

The monster should have tried out for the major leagues - I flew all the way over the ravine and crashed down into the snow on the other side. Luckily, the ground was covered in several feet of fresh powder and I had a relatively soft landing. Tiny roared again, yelling words in a language that sounded vaguely recognizable. The meaning was clear, though - stay out.

"Sure, no problem," I sighed. I lay in the snow a bit, getting my bearings. It seemed as though Tiny was content to stay on the other side of the ravine, so I had some time to think. Had it been waiting there for me? What if it discovered my door? I didn't want to go up against Tiny so soon, and without food or other supplies I wasn't staying up in these mountains for too much longer.

I still had to find Jenalind and figure out why any of us were running around in this reality. I tiredly marked a circle in the snow without standing, closing with an effort of will and muttering my tracking spell under my breath. Surprisingly, I found a fairly strong trail leading down the mountain.

The cut on my arm barely deserved the name, so I wiped the wound with my shirt and used me other hand to press it until it stopped bleeding. By time I picked myself up and started hiking, there was a storm brewing. Being the Winter Knight had a few perks, and despite the wind I wasn't bothered by the cold.

* * *

><p>I ran through the castle, the tears from my eyes making tiny <em>pings<em> when they fell and subsequently froze before hitting the ground. I didn't have to avoid anyone, as they were all still at the ball, but even had someone tried to impede me I would have likely plowed into them before I could stop.

My path took me past the portrait of my parents. _Conceal, don't feel, Elsa._ How well that had worked out for me. In retrospect, they were only doing what they thought best, but I still tried not to think of the years I spent avoiding my sister. I missed them dearly, even if I was ignoring most of their advice at this point.

Before I really realized what was happening, I made it to my room and collapsed on the bed, sobbing. _I thought I had this under control._ _I wasn't even that upset!_ Johanna had been creepy, sure, but not so scary that I had feared for my life. And while it was understandable that I had slipped when she started messing with my emotions, I couldn't just hide behind that.

I had learned after the events surrounding my coronation that the key to keeping my power in check was to control my emotions, not be controlled by them. I had to keep a clear head and be confident in who I was, as opposed to what I was afraid I would become. Doubt and self-loathing had become my greatest enemies. I couldn't give in to fear.

_But that's what I just did, wasn't it? Let that tramp get under my skin and - _

I heard the door open and close, and for a second I was afraid that Johanna had somehow come to taunt me again. I jumped up from the bed to defend myself, but instead Anna rushed up to me and pulled me into a hug. She was still drying from the punch, and I ended up crying into my own cloak.

Being hugged by my sister was still a relatively new experience for me. I had, over the course of our time together, almost killed her, abandoned her, shut her out, ignored her, and then almost killed her a second time. I didn't even accompany her to our parents' funeral. In short, I had been the worst big sister in recorded history. Anna had suffered mightily at my hands, both emotionally and physically.

_I was only trying to protect her._ A flimsy excuse, but it was true. I loved her dearly and I hadn't trusted myself in her presence, so instead I had tried to keep her away. Anna, on the other hand, spent a great deal of time trying to connect with me. Whether it was her constant stories during dinner or sitting outside my door asking to go play, she had wanted to spend time with me more than anything else.

It had taken me freezing her solid for me to understand my mistakes. I sacrificed years of my life trying to keep her safe, and she spent her time every one of those years making sure I knew I was loved. I had thought myself a monster, cursing her once to be an only child and twice into ice, but Anna loved me nonetheless. It meant more than I could ever tell her that she gave me hugs.

"Anna, I'm so sorry, so so sorry," I sobbed. "I didn't mean to ruin the dance for everyone."

"Elsa, it's ok! Everyone was fine, and they just moved the dance outside." She squeezed me tighter, saying "Once that woman left, people sort of snapped out of whatever she did to them. I don't think anyone could fault you for, well, the ice and stuff."

We hugged for a bit longer, and my tears eventually dried up. "Anna, that doesn't excuse my actions. I can't just blame my mistakes on other people."

Anna pushed me to arm's length, looking into my eyes. I looked back, and all I could see was compassion. There was no fear, even having just seen me turn a ballroom into icebox. "Elsa, you can't be responsible for everything. You have limits, even if you won't admit them. Everybody makes mistakes."

I looked away from her eyes, and my gaze lingered on the former location of the white streak in her hair. I put that there, years ago, by being careless with magic. Sure, I was eight years old at the time, but it had almost killed my younger sister. She followed where I was looking and started shaking her head. "No Elsa, no more feeling guilty about the past. We have come too far for you to keep dwelling on that."

"I know you're right, it's just… I love you Anna, and I don't want to hurt you again."

Anna smiled, and I could almost feel the warmth. "I don't believe for a moment that you would. Now, a certain green-haired woman…"

I grimaced. "I don't understand. I was sure that I didn't accidentally let any magic slip, but when I opened my eyes, the room was covered in ice. Do you think she did something to me?" That was an unnerving thought. "If she could somehow push me so I lose control, I would be a real danger to people. Maybe tonight I should just stay in my -"

The sudden look of sadness on my sister's face stopped me from continuing. I thought of Anna, sitting on the other side of my door, asking to build a snowman. _I cannot be ruled by fear._ "No," I said. "Let's go back out there and see if I can thaw this mess."

* * *

><p>The descent down the mountain proved to be easier than I was expecting, though to be honest I had expected the Caradhras Pass. Most of the new snow had fallen closer to the top of the mountain, and shortly I was into only ankle-deep powder. I continued to follow the trail made by my tracking spell, which made a fairly straight pass to the bottom.<p>

My journey was mostly uneventful, which gave me plenty of time to think. If Tiny was anything resembling an ordinary denizen in this world, I would need to be cautious and be careful where I was putting my feet. I suspected I would encounter people eventually, and wondered how they dealt with such creatures.

Wrapped in my thoughts, it was almost a surprise when I finally caught the first signs of humanity. The magical trail had transitioned into a real trail some time ago, and I had been blindly following it in my weariness. The latter now ran into a town that looked to be no bigger than two hundred people. The comforting smell of woodsmoke and food wafted from many chimneys. Something seemed strange, however, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I was nearly in the town square when I realized what was bugging me, and only then because I got a good look at the attire of the townspeople. The houses were wood or stone and lit predominantly by fire, the people were wearing mostly unadorned wool, and there wasn't anything resembling technology after steam power had been invented.

A scary thought came to me. _Was this, in fact, a different world?_ My vague understanding of temporal mechanics seemed to rule out time travel with as little power as I had used to power that circle. On the other hand, parallel universes were supposedly occupying the same space, in some sense. Molly thought this wasn't a demesne - a pocket of Nevernever somehow disconnected from the rest - but I didn't know exactly why. _I need Bob here, he'd have a field day with this one._

I had one option for a quick check - the Sight. Wizards have access to an extra "sense," a magical way of seeing the world. The Sight showed things as they truly were, cutting through enchantments and preconceptions. Unfortunately, the memories were burned into the practitioner's brain, and thus impossible to forget. I had seen some truly horrifying things with the Sight, but I had also seen such beauty as to bring tears to my eyes.

I concentrated briefly, opening my Sight. There was a small pressure above my eyes, and suddenly the little town was bathed in light. There were faintly-glowing figures moving about, and I smelled many, many decades of woodsmoke. This town had existed here for a very long time, evidently just minding its own business. It was also real, as opposed to a construction inside someone's personal universe. I closed my Sight, thankful nothing horrible had passed through here recently.

I didn't need to read the local language to see which building was the town tavern, and so I staggered to the largest building that had music coming out of it. I walked in, trying to look as unassuming as possible. The crowd wasn't too large at this hour, despite the lutist playing by the hearth, so it wasn't hard for me to find a seat.

Barely had I sat down before a large man in an apron sat down directly across from me. "Min venn, er du ikke herfra…" he started in almost unpleasant tone. "Wait, one moment," I said, holding up my hands. I dug around in my pockets until I felt my translator, then fed it a small amount of power. Understanding suffused my brain, and I suddenly knew we were speaking Norwegian.

Once upon a time I had a Fallen angel in my head, and despite my best efforts I had found her ability to translate languages on-the-fly too useful not to use. She was gone, now, so I needed a replacement. Some careful thought and several smelly prototypes had yielded limited-time translation potions from one language to another. Based on those and what it had felt like to have Lash translate for me, I had created a small book-shaped piece of quartz that would let me understand many useful languages.

"My apologies," I said, feeling the unfamiliar sounds of Scandinavia roll off my tongue, "How can I help you?"

The innkeeper's surprised look told me that my trick had not gone unnoticed. "You can help me by leaving. I don't know what you are capable of, but we have had enough tricks from outsiders today." He stood up, indicating the door.

"Hold on a second. Outsiders?"

He made a face, equal parts longing and anger. "Yes. You are not the first person to come in here and cause trouble recently. Leave before you are made to leave."

I generally don't respond well to threats, but as far as I could tell he was just scared. I forced down my anger and put on a helpful face. "Trouble? What sort of trouble?" Hopefully I could trade some small amount of work for some food, as it was now clear that I lacked any currency. "I'm not here to harm anyone, I swear. Maybe I can help you."

He cast a critical eye over me, staying silent for a moment. When he did talk, it was in a lower voice. "A woman came through here a few hours ago. She wasn't from around these parts, tall with green hair. She talked, and moved, and it was like…" His face reddened. "I have a wife and kids, I shouldn't be thinking those kind of thoughts. But it wasn't just me."

I understood. "She made you want her? All you could do was think about her and what the two of you could be doing? Same for the other guys?" He didn't answer, but nodded his head once. I didn't bother trying to explain glamour and faeries. "What did she want? What sort of questions did she ask?"

"She wanted to know the fastest way to the capital city." He thought for a second. "Actually, I think she first asked about the snowstorm a few months ago. But then she asked about the castle."

_What is going on here? Why are there Faeries screwing with innkeepers?_ The Fae were a mysterious bunch, but this seemed over the top, even for them. I was hungry and tired, but instead of trying to bargain for food I stood up, thanked the innkeeper, and made my way out the door.

* * *

><p>Anna and I took our time leaving my room. I needed to dry my eyes and such, so she used this opportunity to tell me about some beautiful mountain ice lake Kristoff had taken her to go see last week. The story included the two of them being stranded on an ice floe and trying to paddle back and Sven getting stuck in a tree. Though I wasn't in the mood to laugh when she started, Anna's infectious happiness eventually got the better of me.<p>

We then started on our way back towards the ballroom. While I wasn't completely composed, my best impression of a stately queen would have to do. It helped that I was still wearing one of my formal gowns (though without a cape) and Anna had run and changed into dry clothes. What didn't help was Anna's suggestion when we arrived at the top of the spiral staircase.

"Elsa," she began. One of her mischievous grins formed on her face, and I knew immediately what she wanted. _I don't have enough fun. It's harmless and I could use a laugh._

A quick glance up and down the hallway confirmed my early suspicion - the castle was empty. I looked my sister in the eyes and mirrored her smile. "Ok," I said with sarcastic patience, "but only because you got to swing from the chandelier. Just don't crash into the suits of armor at the bottom."

Anna let out an excited squeal, and I turned to the stairs. I lifted my left hand, spraying the top of the steps with a blast of frost. The blue-white swirl ran down the steps, leaving behind a smooth slide complete with banking on the outside edge. I was still admiring my work when Anna bolted past me, diving onto the ramp and letting out a whooping laugh as she flew down the steps.

I followed an instant later, echoing her laugh as I slid. "Weeee!" I yelled, forgetting the ball, green haired women, and everything else for a moment. I listened to Anna laugh, only a few feet ahead of me, and for those brief seconds I stopped worrying.

All fun things have to come to an end, and before Anna and I reached the bottom, I summoned a jump and a snowbank near the end of the stairs. She was launched into it only slightly before me, and we lay there laughing for a minute while we caught our breaths. I stood up before she did, making the slide and snow vanish with a wave of my hand.

"Ow!" came Anna's complaint when the snow she was resting on vanished. I stuck out my tongue while giving her a hand up. She made a face back at me, then jumped around and clapped her hands. "That was fun!" The smile on her face made up for everything terrible from the past few hours, and I returned it with my own.

We chatted about the party on our way back, but the ballroom was empty when we arrived. Most of the tables and chairs had been moved outside, so the room felt even more vacant than usual. We walked into the middle of the room, and I had to give Anna a steadying hand so she didn't slip on the ice. I didn't have any trouble, which I had long since attributed to my powers.

I closed my eyes, starting to concentrate so that I could undo the spell. A fragment of our conversation surfaced, and my focus broke. "Did you see Lord Rivenbark when the dancing moved outside?" I asked Anna, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

Anna looked up from inspecting the frozen chandelier. "What? Oh, yeah. He was standing around while people were moving the tables, talking about how inconvenient it was and such."

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Rosenius Rivenbark held a sizable portion of land in the northeast portion of the kingdom, and his timber operation was one of the hardest hit when I discontinued trade with Weseltown. Granted, he had arranged deals with the Duke of that city to avoid most of his taxes and had undercut the other lords, so I didn't feel too bad.

The remainder of the kingdom had been happy to do away with the exploitative Duke, so Rivenbark's economic arguments to reestablish trade fell on deaf ears. Trade with Weseltown was profitable for the kingdom, if you ignored the fact that Rivenbark took most of it. Instead, he tried to find ways to undermine my authority. He had yet to be successful, but I couldn't let this give him an opening.

"I'm sure he did," I said, a bit too acidly. Anna was full of life and energy, and to her credit didn't put much of either towards court politics. I wasn't sure if she found it boring or just couldn't see the darker side of people. Nevertheless, she let out a small chuckle.

I started to concentrate again. I pushed aside my anger at Rivenbark, trying to clear my mind. Once I felt sufficiently calm, I embraced the storm of snow and ice in the back of my mind. The wintry power howled into me, and only discipline prevented stray thoughts from manifesting as frigid effects.

Working magic was second nature to me at this point. I had spent hours testing my limits in both detail and complexity. I also spent time trying to undo my spells, though that took considerably more effort. My efforts paid off, however - I had developed significantly better fine control over my spells.

I started to prod at the frost coating the ballroom, trying to reconstruct what I had done. Something was wrong - it felt like I was trying to undo a complicated knot with my eyes closed. That had never happened before.

I barely had time to be confused before a messenger rushed in and broke my concentration again. "Your majesty! Someone has been murdered!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

"What can you tell me about this, captain?" Viktor Herulvsen, the sheriff and de facto head of Arendelle's defenses, had arrived almost immediately after the messenger. He stood in front of me and Anna, his green and purple uniform somehow pristine despite rushing from his office in the city. He had worry-lined face, and his lantern jaw was almost permanently frozen into a slight frown.

He raked his hand through his long gray hair before answering. "Your majesty, we have nothing yet. It appears to have been a random act of violence. The man had his throat slashed by his own knife." He looked down, not meeting my eyes. "He was a cobbler, but also a husband and father."

Arendelle was a relatively peaceful kingdom, and we haven't had anything like this happen in years, at least. I rubbed my temples, trying to decide on the best course of action. _Think about the people, the family - what can you do for them?_ Yes, my people. I had a responsibility for them, to go and provide support. "Captain, let us go and visit the family. I will provide whatever resources you need to solve this." I would have to hope that Herulvsen's deputies could provide some information as soon as possible.

The captain, Anna, and I made our way to the courtyard. My sister had been uncharacteristically quiet since the news of the murder, so I didn't try to engage her in conversation on our way outside. When we reached the main doors, we found them propped open and the feast underway. The music was still playing and people were still dancing, and it seemed as though the partygoers had forgotten that they started in the ballroom. The fading light from the sun was bolstered by a large number of lanterns on poles, and they made the twin fountains sparkle gold.

Anna turned and pulled me into a hug, and Herulvsen walked towards the gates at my nod. "Elsa, I… need a second," she said with slightly watery eyes, and I responded with a squeeze. She released me, then ran over to where Kristoff was sitting. In her haste she almost knocked over a lantern, and Kristoff had to leap up and steady it while simultaneously having Anna jump into his arms.

I walked towards the center table, where I should be sitting and enjoying the dance. Instead, I tapped into my power and created a perfect wineglass and spoon out of ice. This particular trick had taken quite some experimentation - when I struck the glass with the spoon, it made a ringing sound far louder than an ordinary cup made from glass.

This immediately drew the attention of everyone in the courtyard. The musicians stopped playing, and for a moment I had silence. "Thank you. If anyone sees Lady Johanna, please let me know at once. She is, I believe, quite dangerous and should be avoided if at all possible." I paused, waiting for that to sink in. "Additionally, you may hear rumors about criminal acts committed tonight. The investigation is ongoing, and I will say more when we have information."

The first announcement was met with a round of hard smiles and terse nods, since almost everyone had seen the effects of Johanna's presence. In contrast, the second announcement was met with looks of confusion. Several people, Rivenbark included, had clearly heard the news as soon as I did. I could almost see the wheels in his head turning, trying to find a way to turn the situation to his advantage.

I made the wineglass and spoon disappear, to the astonishment of nearby onlookers. When it was clear I had no more to say, the music started up again and was quickly followed by dancing and conversation. I glanced around the party, fighting down anger and impatience. Seated nearby were several representatives of Arendelle's international partners alongside members of our more powerful families. _I suppose I should go speak to them quickly._

Anna saved me from the inevitable halting conversations and carefully phrased responses that were the usual discourse between me and my vassals. I tried to explain that much of the formality was unnecessary, but nevertheless I had a difficult time connecting with them. Some part of it, I admitted, was fear of me and my powers. Another part was my relatively recent ascension to the throne, giving them no reference point for interactions.

My sister, on the other hand, was my social antithesis. She followed me as I walked from person to person, laughing and talking and gesturing up a storm. Her disarming personality and limitless energy meant even the most reserved were soon smiling and chatting with us. I did my best to apologize for the ballroom, but Anna's lighthearted "It was getting too hot in there anyways" and "The chocolate was starting to melt!" seemed to have a far greater effect than my attempts.

"You know, Elsa, you don't have to be so nervous around them," Anna said quietly as we made our way from the table. This wasn't a new conversation, and despite my "I know, I know," Anna continued with her usual tirade. "You're the queen. They respect you for all of your hard work, but sometimes you need to go out and be social and stuff." I let out a small sigh, a mix between irritation and dejection, and it garnered a hug from my sister.

Now was not the time to continue this, however. "Anna, I know you're right. It's just…" _It is hard to converse normally with people when you can see the fear lurking behind their eyes._ I pushed those thoughts away, thinking back to issue at hand. "I need to go deal with this… mess." Anna's expression softened, and she pulled me into another hug, murmuring "Ok Elsa, go be a good queen and catch this guy." I squeezed back. "Go have a good time, Anna."

I pulled out of the embrace, watching as Anna ran back into the party. There was a brief scuffle as she almost collided with several dancers, and then she vanished into the crowd. _Oh, to be as carefree as my sister._ Instead, I had to investigate murders. Once at the gate, I waved to Herulvsen and we started into the city.

The remainder of the journey down the mountain went quickly, despite the fading light. There was something resembling a path connecting the small village to the capital city, so I abandoned my tracking spell and focused on not tripping over the concealed rocks and roots. It was nearing dark when I finally made it through the walls.

A signpost several miles previous had named this city "Arendelle." The guards and flags were all sporting some flower I didn't recognize on a green and purple background. I didn't have any trouble entering, though the guards looked confused at my duster and staff. They didn't stop me, so I passed right through. _Some security_, I thought sleepily, before my brain kicked into gear. The friendly nature of the innkeeper and guards probably meant that this was a relatively peaceful and quiet kingdom. I just wished it didn't feel like I was here to change that.

Arendelle sprawled amongst the hills where the fjord met the sea, and thus I was able to get a nice view of the city layout after I was in the gate. Unfortunately, this was accompanied by the realization that my destination, the castle, would be a not-inconsiderable hike down the hill. I tried not to complain too much inside my head, instead trying to prod my brain into learning something about my surroundings.

The scent of fish and brine filled the air alongside woodsmoke, and even at this hour there were people moving about, conducting business and socializing. The roadways were mostly clean, and I was surprised to see an iron manhole cover set into the middle of the ground. The vague scent confirmed my suspicions - they must have some form of running water for sewers.

I had lived in Chicago most of my adult life, so I was used to the bustle and energy present in any city. I was also used to the smog, the stench, and the buzz of electric lights. Instead, I had clean air and oil streetlamps. I found myself almost dozing off where I stood, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. _If only Molly had shown up tomorrow morning._

I had neared the bottom of my descent, walking on blessedly almost-flat ground, when I noticed something amiss. The city, as far as I can tell, was nearly devoid of guards. I didn't know if that was due to understaffing or if there was genuinely little crime, but it meant that the sight of two local law enforcement standing outside of a door was a strange sight. I stopped to Listen as they conversed, but instead of hearing their words I heard something else entirely - a woman's sobs.

I have what most people would call an "outdated" opinion on women. I think they should be treated nicely, such as opening doors, paying for food, and the like. I had been called a chauvinist pig quite often, but it was ingrained behavior and I saw no reason to change. I also had a soft spot for women in trouble, and had done some truly stupid things to help protect the fairer sex in need.

The nauseated looks on the guards faces, a carefully controlled combination of sadness and horror, gave me a good idea what had happened. "Excuse me, gentlemen," I said, trying to walk through the door before they noticed I was entering. I managed to get a look in the building, and saw the lower half of what was undoubtedly a fresh corpse. I could smell the blood on the ground, even if I couldn't see it.

The left guard stuck out his hand, blocking my entry. "Who are you? You can't just barge in there! Get out!" Despite the forcefulness of his words, his face was still twisted by shock. _They must not get a lot of murder around here._ That was an almost pleasant realization, a stark contrast to the Chicago I had so recently left.

I looked at him with all the weight of every murder scene I had been unfortunate enough to experience. "I am a private investigator," I said quietly. "I daresay that I have more experience in this regard than you. Let me through, before you disturb too much of the crime scene." The combination of my face and voice must have convinced him, because a sick look came over his face and he retracted his arm.

Inside was just what I expected. It was a cobbler's shop straight out of the nineteenth century, with cubbies filled with shoes everywhere and a workbench hosting various tools. The victim appeared to be the cobbler himself - his neck had been slashed by one of his own knives, which was on the ground next to him. The smear of blood on the workbench and the way his body was crumpled indicated that he had been sitting on the bench when his throat was cut.

On the ground next to him was, presumably, his wife. She was holding her late husband's hand, crying and saying his name over and over. I walked over to her and leaned down. In my most comforting voice possible, I said "Ma'am, I'm here to help. How long ago did this happen?"

She turned up towards me, and the look on her face made my stomach tie itself in a knot. "I-I-I-" she started, but broke down in tears again. Eventually, her tears were brought under control and she turned her head back up to me. Before she could start talking, she looked past me and her eyes became round as teacups.

I stood up and spun around, pulling power into my staff and making it glow greenish-white. My defensive maneuver proved unnecessary, however, because instead of some monster standing in the door, there was a stunningly beautiful woman with platinum-blonde hair in a complicated braid. She was staring at me with wide, bright blue eyes, and there was blue and white power swirling around her left hand.

* * *

><p>I stopped, stunned at the sight in front of me. The guards had warned me there was a strange man here, but that was an understatement. He was ruggedly handsome, with several prominent scars on his face and a wild disregard for hairstyle. I had never seen his combination of blue pants, loose shirt, and long leather coat, and certainly no one would go out in the winter dressed as such. Except, that is precisely what it appeared he had done, as there was still snow on his legs and strange-textured shoes.<p>

Stranger still was his walking stick. It was carved up and down its length with an intricate pattern that glowed with a greenish light. It wasn't burning, however, despite the stick being made of wood. I couldn't quite place the feeling, but it seemed that I should know why it was glowing. A memory tickled at the back of my mind, but I couldn't pin it down.

His eyes made a quick scan of my face and body, eventually coming to fixate on my left hand. I realized I had instinctively called my power and was readying some sort of shield, but instead I shook my hand and the power dispersed. Oddly enough, when I did that, the strange man left out a breath and the glow vanished from his walking stick.

He then stuck out his hand and said, "My name is Harry Dresden. And you are?" He had a grim smile on his face, more irony than amusement. For some reason, he didn't meet my eyes directly, instead choosing to focus on a spot somewhere behind my head. Herulvsen snapped from next me, "You will show proper respect -" I held up my hand to forestall him.

"I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle. Where are you from and what are you doing here?" I tried to infuse those words with the fullest force of my authority, but the strange familiarity with the man took the edge off.

My title didn't even seem to faze him, and he ignored most of my question. "Well, Elsa, your constabulary doesn't seem to have had much experience with murder. On the other hand, I have. So, I'm doing you a favor by ensuring your men don't prevent me from finding the killer."

I had rarely been spoken to in such a fashion. Arendelle was a relaxed kingdom, but even we had protocol and decorum. Wherever this Harry Dresden came from, it appeared they did not. I opened my mouth to tell him that he would cease this rudeness at once, but he talked right over me. "This isn't why I am here, or at least the only reason. I am searching for a woman - green hair, beautiful face, probably dressed in less than appropriate clothing. Have you seen her?"

* * *

><p>I didn't need to hear the answer to my question, as the queen's cheeks reddened visibly. <em>That was fast, Jenalind. Barely here hours and already making sport of the local nobility.<em> Then again, this queen appeared to be hardly defenseless based on the spell she was readying. "Yes, she was seen around the city. Why do you ask?" was her reply, her level tone betrayed by the redness in her face.

A wave of cold air whipped through the still-open door. _I didn't think it was that cold outside. _It shook my mind back to the present, and I didn't want to intrude on the cobbler's wife any more. I started towards the door, and the queen cut me off with her arm. I reached down to move her hand. I started to say "Why don't we talk about thi-" when my hand touched hers.

When two practitioners touch, their auras intermingle and they get a sense of how powerful each other is. For the vast majority of people I have met, I have been considerably higher on the power scale, and I would get a light tingle. Even trading handshakes with my grandfather was usually just a small zap. Not this time - when I touched the queen's hand, I felt as though R2-D2 had employed his self-defense on me.

The queen was just as surprised as I was. We both jerked back, using the shoe cubbies to steady ourselves. My heart started racing and my breath quickened, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The queen put her hand to her head, eyes wide and breathing quick. We both looked at each other and locked eyes. I would have liked to say I was tired and not thinking clearly, but she had the most incredible blue irises.

Soulgazing was one of the lesser-known perks/curses of being a wizard. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and if a wizard looks someone in the eyes for too long he gets a glimpse into that person's fundamental being. The connection works both ways simultaneously, however, and thus it is something that most wizards avoid doing intentionally.

When the soulgaze with Elsa started, I felt as if a huge winter storm had suddenly and inexplicably materialized above my head. I was walking through the storm, and at various points I caught glimpses of her life. Two small children playing with a snowman. A young girl running from a frozen whirlwind that left a trail of ice. A door, covered in frost and rime. Hauntingly beautiful singing and a pair of gloves and a cape, flying away in the wind. Two large stones accompanied by sorrow I could feel in my bones.

The vision went on, and the storm got worse. I saw the ice castle I had arrived in, and a brown haired woman on the ground, crawling along the ice. I saw the city, frozen solid, and a beautiful blue statue. I saw a pair of whole-hand manacles, frosted over and laying on the ground. There was loneliness, love, and fear all billowing around me, and it seemed as though they drove the storm as opposed to being driven by it. Then all I could see was whiteness, and suddenly I was standing in the shop again.

Elsa surfaced from the soulgaze at the same time, and looked up at me with a mix of awe and confusion. "What just happened?" she whispered. "What did I just see?" She trembled slightly, and struggled to stand up. I didn't answer, mind still racing. Some rational part of my brain told me to run away from Elsa, back to the ice castle as fast as I could, and go home. _She can turn you into an ice cube faster than you can blink_, it said, _and you scared her._

I fought that instinct, electing to study the woman in front of me instead of giving into even logical fear. When she walked in the door, Elsa had been the very picture of regality and poise. Now she was hunched over, the confused expression on her face matched by the quickness of her breathing. She looked… vulnerable, as opposed to terrifying. I was pretty sure that I didn't need to run, thinking back to the soulgaze. In fact, running might have have been even more dangerous.

After a moment, she noticed me, her eyes repeating her earlier questions. I tried to give her a comforting smile, though my brain still wanted to run. "Sorry about that," I said. "That was unintentional." I would have said more had I not been hoisted with one arm by her sheriff. "What did you do to the Queen?" he hissed. "Why shouldn't I just lock you up right now?" He started to make a fist in his other hand. Elsa put her hand on his shoulder, and said gently, "He did... nothing wrong. I'm fine. Please put him down."

The sheriff relaxed visibly, and set me down. His tough demeanor cracked, and he let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry, your majesty. It's just... with everything recently, I don't want to see you injured." Elsa gave him a thankful smile. "I know, captain. I appreciate your help, but I am hardly defenseless." The queen eyed me, but despite the implication in her words, there was no malice, only curiosity, in her stare.

With a start, I realized we were still intruding on the cobbler's widow. I motioned to the door, and we made our way outside. "Ok, so." I said, still shaking off the effects of the soulgaze. "I think we have a lot to talk about, but first things first." I looked at the sheriff, and jerked my thumb to the shop. "Figure out as much as you can about the cobbler. See if there is anything to work from. Actually, one moment." I ducked back inside.

* * *

><p>I watched the strange man go back into the shop. <em>No,<em> I thought,_ his name is Harry Dresden. What is he doing here?_ My mind was still reeling from the torrent of images I had seen when I looked into his eyes. _Why did I get a shock when I touched his hand? What is going on here?_ There were a dozen questions I wanted to ask, flying around in my brain like swirls in a snowstorm. I followed him inside, intent on getting at least a few answers.

However, when I walked inside, he was crouched down and drawing on the floor. The cobbler's wife was gone, though there was light at the top of the stairwell. A bloody knife, presumably the murder weapon, was on the ground in front of him, and I realized he had drawn a chalk circle enclosing him and the knife. It was such a strange sight that all I could ask was, "What are you doing?"

He turned and gave me a wide grin. "Magic! Now, I need a moment to concentrate." He reached over and touched the circle, and I felt a small pop. Looking closely, I could see that there was a faint shimmering in the air defined by the chalk line. Harry sat inside, muttering to himself and looking intently at the knife.

_This is magic?_ I was thoroughly confused, even on top of whatever had happened when I looked him in the eyes. There were no obvious effects, which was completely unlike any magic I did. However, I did feel… something… which I struggled to identify. I crept closer, extending my hand.

The occupant suddenly looked my way, and said, "It's a good thing I was done here, or you would have ruined my circle." He picked up a loose pebble and tossed it through the barrier, and it dissipated with another small pop. "If anything solid passes through it, or breaks the line, the circle is toast."

I leaned down to inspect the chalk, and he chuckled. "No, it's just ordinary chalk. It's all up here," he made a motion to his head. "The line is just a concentration aid." He then stood up, erasing the line with his food and leaving the shop. I wanted to follow and start asking questions, but I had to first see to my subject. "Hello, ma'am? Can you please come back downstairs?"

The woman crept down the stairs, equal parts terrified and anguished. I walked over to her and offered my hand. She took it gratefully, tears still shining in her eyes. "You have my heartfelt sympathy for your loss. I will do everything in my power to find your husband's killer and bring him to justice." The floodgates opened, and I stood there awkwardly as she bawled her eyes out. "Don't worry about money, the crown will help get you back on your feet."

Being a ruler is a thankless job, most of the time. Endless paperwork, court politics, and foreign affairs made for a miserable time. It was always worth it, but keeping that in mind was often hard. The teary smile on this woman's face, however, reminded me why I went through the suffering.

When I went back outside, Harry was talking. "The killer didn't actually use the cobbler's knife. It was dipped in his blood afterwards." he said wearily. "Give the poor woman some time, but see what you can find out from the neighbors." He glanced at me. "Where did you see the green-haired woman? Goes by Jenalind, or the Nightingale."

_Back to this woman again._ I wanted to talk about magic! "She called herself Lady Johanna," I replied in a terse voice. "She showed up at the castle a few hours ago. We were having a feast, and she sort of…" I blushed, involuntarily. Harry's eyes took on a hard cast. "She made you desire her? Standard faerie mind-magic. When all you can think about is tearing her clothes off, you make all sorts of bad decisions." The look on his face indicated that he had experience with this matter.

"That's putting it lightly," I said bitingly. "It doesn't matter now, she had left the party by time we set out for here." I tried to banish her smile and walk from my mind, and was only somewhat successful.

Harry let out a superb yawn that was punctuated by a rumbling belly. "Do you have anything to eat?" he asked. "I think I heard you mention a feast."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

Arendelle was not a large city, by modern standards. That being said, it was still a considerable walking distance from the cobbler's shop to the castle. Our little group - Elsa, the sheriff, and several of her guards - attracted only minimal attention as we walked. The queen looked like she had wanted to ask questions, but the guards started giving me distrustful glances when I moved closer to her.

The rest of the party walked ahead of me, so I took the opportunity to study them. The guards had calluses that implied they knew how to use the swords at their waists, and walked as though prepared to use them. Their tall, thin builds proved their Scandinavian blood. The sheriff was slightly older, and I might have discounted him had he not picked me up with one arm back in the shop. He had more weight on his frame, but I wasn't sure how much of it was fat.

Elsa was every inch the Norwegian queen. She had recovered from the ordeal in the shop, and she once again gained a calm assurance in her stride. It wasn't the arrogance of pompous upbringing, but the careful, practiced gait of a dignified ruler. Though her formal gown did a good job of hiding her curves, I had to try hard to avoid staring at her hips as she walked. Ok, fine. I wasn't trying _that_ hard.

A sudden wind off the fjord made my duster billow and flap, and the guards pulled their jackets tighter. I didn't mind the cold, of course, and interestingly enough neither did Elsa. Her intricately braided white hair whipped around, but she didn't otherwise react. The next gust, however, started to pick her skirt up. She got it under control quickly, before it revealed more than her thin, pale shins. I didn't bother trying not to look, that time.

Normally (which says much about my current employment) I would be giving the psychic wrist-slap to the Winter Knight's mantle in the presence of such a beautiful woman. Winter's power was predatory in nature, and viewed pretty girls as conquests to be taken. I disagreed vociferously with this opinion, and it had been the source of more conflict than I had anticipated when I had taken the job.

I didn't know whether to be excited or terrified that I hadn't even hadn't heard a peep. Granted, touching Elsa's aura had been the magical equivalent of licking a wall socket, so maybe that had shut it up. I hadn't encountered a mortal with that kind of power, well, ever. There were several supernatural entities with absurd power, such as my boss and Hades, but they didn't trigger my senses when touched. In the latter case, I had actually shaken his hand. In the former, I had touched a whole hell of a lot more.

The difference between Elsa and Mab, though, had been evident when we soulgazed. Mab was absolutely sure in everything she did, and there was almost nothing even approaching human empathy or compassion left in her. Elsa, on the other hand, was a swirling mass of love, guilt, fear, and confusion. I was pretty sure I had glimpsed a lonely childhood and Arendelle doing an iceberg imitation, and it seemed the queen was still reeling from all of it.

Soulgazes weren't a perfect snapshot of someone's life, of course. It was hard to tell what was real, what was metaphorical, and what was yet to come if people took certain paths. In this case, I thought I could put a few things together. Elsa had huge power, and in the process of learning how to control it had caused a big storm. I tried to imagine wrangling that sort of power without proper training, and my mind spun.

I was so caught up worrying about Elsa, the murder, and all of the issues back in Arctis Tor that I nearly walked into the queen and her guards when they stopped in front of me. Shaking myself slightly more awake, I realized that we had come to a stop at a very nice vista overlooking the bay. However, instead of gazing out over the water, Elsa was kneeling down and speaking quietly to a very ragged man laying on a nearby bench.

The guards and I shared a perplexed look as the queen helped the man stand up and gather his meager possessions. She gestured to the castle, and I only heard the last of what she said. "... once inside, talk to any castle staff. Tell them I sent you and they will help you." The man thanked her with teary eyes, then started on his way towards the castle. Elsa watched him go before turning and giving us an embarrassed smile. "I organized a place for the homeless, to get them off the streets and whatever help they need. Apparently he didn't get the message."

Perhaps if I hadn't been so tired, I could have come up with some witty reply. Instead, a dumbfounded look on my face, I walked over and sat down on the bench the queen had so recently vacated. I only wanted to give my legs a short reprieve, but as I was stretching, Elsa came over next to me. She waved her hand, and a small wintry storm blew away the debris on the other half of the bench. _She does that so casually,_ I thought, eyes widening. Elsa interrupted further musings, sitting next to me and asking "So, Mr. Dresden, what exactly does a private investigator do?"

"I, um." _Damn, she really is beautiful._ There was a smile on her face, but her voice carried the barest of requirements that I explain myself. "Well, mostly I help people find lost articles - rings, loved ones, and so on. I sometimes do contracting work for the local police department." I chuckled quietly. "I poke my nose into places, uncover hidden secrets, that sort of stuff."

"For pay, I assume. How much experience do you have with murder?"

"Not much, but yes." I thought back to my earliest cases, barely able to make the rent every month. "I have seen entirely too much death," I said, coming out slightly quieter than I intended. "Unfortunately, those investigations pay the best, and I am pretty good at it."

The queen tilted her head curiously. "Then why help that woman? She clearly can't pay you, and by your own admission you are here seeking Lady Johanna. Why walk into her shop?"

I stared at Elsa for a moment. This question had come up several times in the past few years, but I had yet to determine an answer that I believed, deep down. "Why did you help that homeless man?" I responded. "Somebody has to care." The queen nodded slowly at that, and for a moment we sat and looked out across the bay. "Thank you," she said, "for taking care of my subjects. Doubly so for not needing a reason."

* * *

><p>I would have liked to stay and watch the sunset, but there was too much on my mind. First Johanna, then the murder, and now this strange man - I hoped fervently that there wasn't going to be an additional surprise when I got back to the castle. Several amusing-in-retrospect Anna scenarios flashed through my head, but I couldn't quite summon a laugh.<p>

_Somebody has to care._ I couldn't agree more with his sentiment, but the rational part of my mind knew that words were cheap. Harry could be a wild, mass-murdering psychopath for all that I knew, whatever kindness he had shown the late cobbler's wife. However, the things I had seen when I looked into his eyes… I felt as though I had some understanding of him, despite having never met before tonight.

I found myself inexplicably believing his stated reasoning. I wasn't totally wrong, I hoped, based on what I had seen. _He didn't seem too enthused with the idea of Lady Johanna, either._ Another mark in his favor, though I was worried that I wasn't thinking clearly. I started to suspect that Harry knew a great deal of magic, and if that was true, I needed to talk to him.

What precious little information on magic I had been able to find in the castle library had been bound up in ancient books that my parents had hidden on the top shelf. The books detailed stories and folklore, how some witch cast a spell on people and so on, but had relatively few concrete details. Everything I had accomplished so far was through trial and error. But Harry's trick with the circle, and what I had seen, suggested so much more.

One time I had been so desperate that I journeyed to visit the trolls. Their king had told me poetic things like _magic is a part of your very being, _but when pressed admitted that he was unable to teach me. Troll magic was sufficiently different from human magic that I would need to find a human teacher, which so far had proved impossible. Nobody I could find knew anything about magic, and it seemed most people wanted to know less.

I hadn't had outbursts like the ballroom in several months, not since the fateful night I fled from my sister across the fjord. Unfortunately, there were still whispers of _monster_ that followed me around, haunting my waking moments when I was feeling overwhelmed. Anna did much to dispel those moods, but I wanted to deal with the problem once and for all. I needed to learn, more than just what I could discover on my own.

Lost in my worries, the remaining walk to the castle seemed to happen all in an instant. The large gates were wide open, and the feast was in the winding down phase. We passed several groups of inebriated revelers stumbling home, and I motioned to the guards and Herulvsen to go and eat. I made my way toward the center table, upon which Anna was sitting and entertaining a small crowd.

"... and before I knew it, suddenly Kristoff had launched me in the air!" Anna exclaimed, to general laughter. She stopped to snag a few chocolates from a nearby plate, and after eating one, continued. These were not her first, as her gloves were covered in chocolate and sugar. "I grabbed on to the chandelier out of surprise, but then the rope broke! Next thing I know, I'm swimming in the punch bowl." There was another round of laughs while she made a flailing motion with her arms. In the process, she also let go of one of the candies.

I plucked the sweet out of the air and put it in my mouth with a smile. "Intentionally letting go of chocolate? How unlike you, Anna." The people Anna was entertaining turned around in surprise, offering a series of curtsies and bows. "I thought when you had your hand on it, it was guaranteed to be eaten." I made a show of licking my fingers, and offered her a sly smile.

"You're back!" Anna jumped up from the table, embracing me in a hug. "Who's this?" she asked, a wide smile still on her face. I turned around with a start, realizing that Harry had followed me to the center table. Her question caused the rest of the group to turn to our strange visitor, and I could almost see the questions forming behind their eyes. Kristoff eyed him with obvious suspicion, and stood up to stand behind Anna.

For his part, Harry was staring at my sister, his mouth slightly open and disbelief on his face. "This, " I said, my words bringing him out of his reverie, "is Harry Dresden. He is a 'private investigator' and is here to help us." He grunted in reply, making no effort to offer additional information or formalities. "Harry Dresden, this is my younger sister, Anna, and our official ice deliverer, Kristoff." I turned to introduce some of the people I recognized, but the small circle had vanished, leaving only us.

Harry offered his hand to Anna and Kristoff, both of whom tentatively shook it. Interestingly, he didn't quite meet either of them in the eyes, though I could guess why. He looked down the long table, and gestured with his thumb to one of the buffet tables. "Mind if I have a bite to eat?" he asked, barely waiting for my nod before walking over to get a plate.

I watched him go perhaps longer than I should have, because Anna nudged me in the ribs. "He's cute, isn't he? Those shoulders!" She laughed, and I turned away before she could see that my cheeks were red. "I wonder what a 'private investigator' does?" she asked with a mischievous grin. "Does he -"

I turned on my sister, letting out a huff. "He investigates murders, Anna," I said tightly. "A man was murdered in his own shop in the city. Harry is going to help us figure out who it was." I stopped, letting some of the tension out of my voice. "He also knows about Lady Johanna, and what she can do." I didn't mention that he also appeared to have magical talent, as I didn't want to bring that up just yet.

Kristoff looked up at that. He started to say "I don't trust him," but was interrupted when a wave of force blasted down the table, flinging dishes and cutlery around and knocking us over. It also sent flying a pair of men with long knives who I had not seen jump up on to the table.

* * *

><p>I wandered over to the buffet table, pleasantly surprised by the cuisine offered in this pseudo-Norway. I'm not the biggest fan of fish, but they had several types of fresh-baked bread, steamed vegetables, and an assortment of chocolates I could only assume was imported at monumental cost. There was a large hole in the middle of the last, as though someone had simply grabbed a handful. I tried a few things, adding the tasty ones to my plate.<p>

_That ice statue looked a lot like her sister,_ I thought, continuing to poke at the food. Elsa loved her sister dearly, that was obvious from their interaction. Memories of the Stone Table and an entirely different sort of Queen ran through my head, and I hesitated before putting a sample of fish into my mouth. _No, that's absurd. __ There's no way Elsa could reverse such a curse. Even Aurora cheated, with the Unraveling._ The fish was good, so I added a bit to my plate.

There was the faint sound of metal rasping over leather, and I spun around. Two men had moved on to the table behind Anna and Kristoff, and had each pulled out a long knife. I dropped my plate in haste to pick up my staff, and the sound distracted them long enough for me to yell "_Forzare!"_

I didn't have enough time to shape the spell nicely or give it good aim, so instead of knocking over the assailants like a swift kick, it instead sent them, and everything on the table, flying through the air. The spell also knocked Elsa, her sister, and the iceman onto the ground. The two resulting crunches told me my primary targets didn't land well.

I leapt onto the table, vaguely aware of the remaining partygoers gasping and pointing. There wasn't much to impede my movement, as my spell had swept all of the plates and cutlery and such onto the ground. When I reached the men, they were fifteen feet further down the table from Elsa and Anna. One landed on the table, while the other had been thrown slightly further onto the ground.

The one on the table stood up and reached for his knife. I kicked it out of his hand, then pulled him up by the scruff of his next. A sharp intake of breath from someone behind me gave me warning, but I didn't duck in time to dodge the large bowl of potato salad that was lobbed at my head.

The bowl exploded on contact, and I dropped the man and followed him down to my knees on the table. I had trouble thinking, but I thought I heard yelling and the sound of swords. When I could finally see straight again, both men had been apprehended by the guards.

I leaned over and picked up my staff from the ground, using it for support while I walked over to the would-be murderers. They were each bound at the wrists and held by two guards, and Elsa was speaking to them. The captain was several feet away, intently speaking to several other guards. The other partygoers were either staring wide-eyed in shock or had bolted as soon as the action had stopped.

"Who hired you?" she was asking, her voice cold. "Why were you trying to harm us?" The men, on the other hand, weren't talking. They were staring at her with hate and fear in their eyes, but they said nothing. Elsa looked up when I drew near, and a mixture of concern and relief washed over her face. "Are you ok?" she asked. "That bowl looked like it hurt."

"Luckily, I have a thick skull," I replied. I wiped some potato salad out of my hair, getting a good look at the would-be murderers. They were fishermen, or something similar, based on their build. Their fingers had serious callouses, and they had the muscles of men who spent many hours at sea. "Who wants to talk first?" I asked.

They looked at each other, then back at us. "We aren't sayin' nothing," the one on the left replied.

"Is that so? You know, I don't think the queen approves of murder." I lifted my right hand and murmured a word. A layer of frost and rime formed at the men's feet, freezing their shoes. The guards jumped back, but the ice had made its way up the assailants' legs and they were firmly rooted to the ground. "Maybe you would like to answer her questions now?"

I turned to Elsa, only to find her stunned. She was staring at my spell, shock and amazement on her face. She pointed at it, then at me, saying "What are you - how are you - ?" Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the right prisoner yelling "Ok! Ok! I'll talk!"

I waved my hand, stopping the progression of the spell around their torsos. At my inquiring look, he said "A woman came to us an hour ago, offering money and more if we could kill the queen and her sister." His face went from a combination of hatred and fear to confusion. "But, I don't know why? I like the queen, she's been nothing but good to us." His companion continued, "I don't even know why I took this offer. I have a job and a wife!" He suddenly broke into tears. "I'm so sorry!"

_Oh boy, I bet I know who did this,_ I thought. I murmured another word, and the ice melted and freed the captives. I then, carefully, extended my wizarding sense towards the two men. There was a haze of strong magic about their heads, though it was dissipating quickly. Mental magic was terrifying stuff, and I was lucky to only had limited exposure to it, but I didn't need to be Molly to see that someone had tried to compel these poor men.

* * *

><p>I barely noticed as the two would-be murderers were taken away by the guards, still crying and apologizing. Anna had been in danger, and I had completely forgotten about the blast that had thrown everything around while questioning the men. Now, I realized that it had been Harry. He had yelled something, and then we were knocked to the ground.<p>

I walked to the nearest bench and sat down. I tried to lean back, and almost didn't catch myself before realizing my bench was in fact one of the courtyard fountains. Anna came down and set next to me, and suddenly I couldn't keep all of my wild thoughts contained anymore. "Anna, he can do magic too. It was him! Both times!" I let out a laugh, equal parts disbelief and excitement. "He caused the blast that knocked us all over, and then froze those men! I mean, I think he figured out somehow that I could do magic, but I didn't know what he could do. "

Anna's face had a mixture of confusion and concern, which grew more intense as I explained. "Why are you so happy? He used magic on another person." She put her hand on my arm. "How is that good?"

I stood up, taking both of her hands in mine. "Don't you see?" I asked eagerly. "He can teach me. I don't have to be afraid!" I smiled at her excitedly, but she gave me a frown in return.

"Afraid of what?" she asked. "What is he going to teach you?" She started to say more, but was interrupted by Harry walking over to the fountain. He had a plate filled with food, and was in the middle of a bite when he also asked, "What am I going to teach you?"

I turned to him, and tried to contain some of my eagerness. "About magic! I mean, I can do some stuff." I pulled Anna off the fountain then raised my left hand while simultaneously tapping into my power. It flowed out of my hand in a stream, and the jet of water froze into a beautiful sweeping icicle. Harry let out a low whistle, and I continued. "But I don't really know _what_ I'm doing. I've figured most of it out by trial and error. Can you help me?"

In response, Harry continued eating. I didn't mind, because I could see that that he was thinking. Anna, on the other hand, continued to give me a concerned look. Eventually, he started talking. "I don't have a very good track record with apprentices," he said with a frown. "I don't know how long I am going to be in Arendelle. However, I can answer your questions and try to help you provided that you answer a few questions that I have."

I nodded frantically. _Finally, someone I can talk to!_ "I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Good," he said. "Let's start by telling me about you turning your sister into a statue."

* * *

><p>Elsa's face immediately went ashen, and her sister came up protectively in front of her. "It was an accident, she didn't mean to," Anna started fiercely, but Elsa put her hand on the shorter woman's arm. "Yes, it was an accident. I, uh, I lost control of my power and hit her in the heart."<p>

Suddenly some of the things I saw in the soulgaze made more sense. Elsa had huge power, more than any mortal I had ever met. If she was struggling to control it, with no notion of using words to shape her spells, she could wreak havoc. "Same deal with with the huge snowstorm last summer," I hazarded.

"Yes, that was me too." Almost all of her earlier enthusiasm was gone, and I almost felt bad for slamming her with these questions so soon. But the danger of someone with Elsa's power just running around without any formal training was too severe, so I had to quickly get her some grounding to prevent further accidents.

I looked back up at my soon-to-be-apprentice. She met my eyes, and I saw some combination of loneliness and fear in her eyes that begged me not to leave. My brain pointed out, reasonably, that I could be the next ice statue if something went wrong. "I suppose it could be a lot worse," I said instead, hoping that my impression from the soulgaze was correct.

At that, Elsa gave me a huge relieved smile, her body relaxing like a puppet with cut strings. _She really thought I would run._ "I take it that magical talent is somewhat rare in Arendelle?" She nodded vigorously. If I did ran, I doubted anyone would be able to teach her to control her power properly. If I didn't, I could die in a misplaced spell. _Oh, wonderful. As if I didn't have enough to worry about._

A cold wind blew in right off the fjord, causing forks to rattle on abandoned plates. I didn't mind, but Anna pulled her cloak tight and let out a shiver. "Perhaps we should go inside," I said. The castle staff had started to clean up the party, and Kristoff joined us when they picked up his chair.

We started to walk towards the castle. "The first and most important thing about magic," I started to explain, "is that it is an extension of your will. Killing someone with magic, along with several other actions, will taint your soul. If you do it enough, it will drive you insane." I looked over, and Elsa was nodding slowly, while Anna seemed content to scowl at me. "That list includes breaking into other people's minds and raising the dead"

Elsa stopped. "Wait," she said. "How does that matter for what I do? As far as I know, I can only do things related to ice and snow." She stuck out her left palm, causing a small snowman to form in her hand. "Can I really do the things you said?"

I stared for a second at the snowman, then continued. "Yes, in principle. Magical energies can be manipulated in many ways to accomplish the same outcome." I chased away a horrifying thought of Elsa animating thousands of icy corpses with a wave of her hand. We resumed walking, and I noticed we were following the cleaning staff.

"The next important thing that you need to understand is how spells work. Everything you do, I think, it what we call 'evocation.' It's fast, dirty magic, just calling up power and giving it structure. That's how I blasted those assassins." We rounded a corner, and I waited until Elsa caught up. "There's a slower, more deliberate version called 'thaumaturgy.' That's what you saw me doing in the cobbler's shop. It involves careful preparation, and is the most effective for accomplishing specific tasks."

Elsa's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Is that what the circle was for? You said it was a concentration aid."

"Precisely," I said. We walked into a room I thought was a huge ballroom, but I couldn't really tell underneath all of the frost and ice. I was going to expand on that thought, but instead said "What the hell happened here?"

Before she could answer, Anna let out a yelp and almost fell over. Elsa and I both put out our arms to steady her, but neither of us was faster than Kristoff, and only then did I look down at the floor. It was completely frozen, and would have made a nice ice rink if not for all of the icicles sticking out at strange angles. Elsa and I had both simply walked onto the ice, and it gave us no more trouble than carpet. Anna was steadied by Kristoff, but they were still sliding somewhat.

Elsa met my gaze, and gave me a small smile. "Ice skating is fun," she said, "but I would prefer to have my ballroom back. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get rid of this ice." She motioned around the room. "I've been practicing undoing my own magic, but this is giving me trouble."

I extended my wizarding senses into the room, and then let out a laugh. Elsa gave me a frown, but I held up a hand to forestall her. "I should think not, Elsa. This is faerie magic, not yours. Did Jenalind come through this way?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "Yes she did. Are you saying she froze this room?" There was a hint of anticipation in her voice.

In response, reached out and picked apart Jenalind's spell. It wasn't hugely sophisticated, and I was somewhat acclimated to how faeries did magic, so I didn't have to work too hard. However, as the spell started to unravel and the icicles started to melt into ectoplasm, a wave of exhaustion hit me. "Yeah, she did. Sloppy work, too…" I let out a huge yawn and sat down on the floor. Before I knew it, I was laying on the floor. I managed to say "Sorry about the mess," before passing out.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note - see my profile for news and updates_

I had already been up for several hours when morning's first light started peeking into my study. I told myself I was only going to put out the lamps, but after standing and stretching I decided to take a short break from queenly duties and relax on the couch by the fire. This was somewhat complicated by the lack of fire in the hearth.

_Am I really that distracted right now?_ The fire was more of a convenience for others, as I was known to go so far as to leave the window into the large, drafty room open well into the winter. Anna often wanted to come and talk while I worked, however, and I didn't want her to be cold. My stomach made a loud grumbling noise, and I was reminded that I had yet to eat breakfast.

I hoped that was the extent of my forgetfulness. Today was, as I recalled, blessedly free of appointments and obligation, with the exception of the next installment in the solstice feast tonight. Most of that had been already organized, and I trusted in the more-than-capable hands of the castle staff to set everything up. Paperwork, on the other hand, was something from which I would never gain freedom.

On my desk I had a seemingly endless stream of tax reports, inventory assessments, repair invoices, diplomatic correspondence, and more that all demanded my attention. It didn't help that I had a particular fondness for mathematics, and so I was continuously pouring over numbers and doing calculations to ensure that Arendelle was run efficiently. My little kingdom had given me more math problems than all of the books I had read in the years I spent cooped up in this study.

Usually during my relaxation breaks my brain would continue to churn on whatever problem I was still considering, be it interest rate mismatch or political rumors in other countries. Today, however, I was thinking about magic. _He used such technical-sounding terms. I wonder if there are magical theorems and such, just like geometry?_ I thought about that for a second, considering bookshelves filled with books on magical theory. _I would like to visit that library._

My musing were cut short by pounding on the study door. "Elsa!" came my sister's voice. "I know you haven't eaten breakfast yet, I talked to the cook! So, I brought you food. Mind if we come in?" Wait, "we"? Anna sometimes brought breakfast up, but it would usually just be the two of us. There was a clang, followed by an exclamation and Anna saying "Not yet! Wait until we can all eat." I chuckled, then stood up to open the door.

As I made my way across the study, yet another realization came to me. Though I had braided my hair and washed my face, I left my bedroom this morning in my pajamas - the ones with the pants, no less. _Oh well, Anna's just as likely to be wearing hers too, anyways._ "Ok, ok, one moment," I said, which Anna took as invitation to barge in. Sure enough, she looked as though she had rolled out of bed. To my surprise, her two companions looked as they did as well.

Kristoff had been staying in the castle for some time, so it had been easy to find Harry something to sleep in last night. After the ice in the ballroom turned into some weird, gelatinous goo, Kristoff helped a nearly-asleep Harry stand up and move upstairs. We gave him in one of the guest bedrooms and some approximately correctly sized pajamas, as it was clear he was travelling without any change of clothes. I also had a washbowl brought up so he could clean the potato salad out of his hair.

Anna was the first into the room, pushing a tray full of delicious-smelling food. "I brought company, I hope you don't mind," she explained, waving in Kristoff and Harry. The latter two were still waking up, as evidenced by yawns and grogginess. I would have been surprised if Anna had knocked on their doors more than five minutes ago. "Does it really have to be so cold, Elsa?" Anna asked as Kristoff started to put logs into the fireplace. "Did you forget to light it or something?"

I started to give a reply, but I was interrupted by Kristoff. "Well, it's been long enough that I don't even have embers. Do you have a starter?" I indicated a drawer in a nearby table, but as soon as Kristoff stood up the fire roared to life. Anna and Kristoff jumped back, but I had seen Harry's eyes move to the fire and his lips move silently. "Sorry," Harry said apologetically, "I didn't think we wanted to wait." I let out a small laugh, and he gave me a smile. Anna, on the other hand, gave me a flat stare.

I reached over to get a plate, and the floodgates opened. The trays of bacon, sausage, and smoked salmon emptied quickly, and only Anna's stern glare prevented Kristoff from taking the entire pitcher of juice. My stomach decided decorum could wait, and I abandoned knives in favor of dipping the fresh-baked bread directly into the bowls of jam. When we all had filled our plates to capacity, the four of us moved back and settled down into the chairs and couch in front of the fireplace.

We ate in silence, savoring our food. "I suppose I should explain a few things," Harry started, but Anna cut him off. "Yeah, like where you are from, what you are really doing here, and what is with your weird… everything," she said, with a hint of anger in her voice. She then looked at me for support, and her face was a mask of anger, fear, and for some reason, sadness. I tried to make reassuring gestures, but that just made it worse. However, she didn't continue speaking.

Harry didn't seem phased by her anger. "Ok, well, let's go in order." He considered that for a second, picking at his breakfast. "Actually, let me answer the second question first. I am here because I am looking for the woman you know as Lady Johanna. Her existence here raises many questions that need answering." He put another piece of bacon into his mouth, the continued. "On my way here, I ran into a murder investigation, and so I'm doing that as well."

The reminder of last night's events caused everyone to look down at their plates again, and for a moment there was only the sound of silverware. "I will admit," I said, "that your accent is somewhat strange. You are not from around here, are you?" I had my suspicions about Harry's origins, but I wanted to hear the whole story.

For that reason, his answer seemed too simple. "You're right, I'm not. I am from from a city called Chicago in a country nearly halfway around the world. The woman I am chasing is from… nearby. How I got here was not important, but -" Anna interjected, "Yeah, it is important. Maybe _you_ didn't notice, but it's cold outside. Sort of hard to sail around when the fjords are filled with ice."

Harry sighed. "Ok, fine. If you want to know honestly how I got here, I took a magic portal. It connected to that ice palace up in the mountains north of here, and I trekked down shortly before we met at the shop." His face made it clear how much he expected us to believe that, but for some reason I didn't think he was lying.

Anna, on the other hand, stood up violently and started yelling at me. "You believe this? He just waltzes in here, tells you some fancy-sounding stuff about magic, admits to knowing that psychopath Johanna, and you just... believe him? What are you thinking?" Anna stopped, huffing and clutching her chest. Anger was not Anna's strong suit, but when she continued there was still some in her voice. "What did he do to convince you?"

"We looked into each other's souls," said Harry with a snort, "according to poets and the like. When someone with magical talent looks another person in the eyes, you see a glimpse of who they really are - a soulgaze. It's not something many of us do lightly, as the memories of what you see don't fade with time." He hooked his thumb at me and said, "It's the only reason I haven't run screaming in terror from your sister."

That gave me pause. His tone was sarcastic, but I had come to the realization that he was probably the first person I had met who could grasp the full implications of my power. The people in Arendelle were slowly growing used to having me as queen, but there were still undercurrents of fear. Harry, on the other hand, seemed to be completely at ease being in my presence - something I only attributed to Anna, usually.

Kristoff had been sitting quietly so far, but gave an indignant grunt. "If that's true, why hasn't it happened when Elsa looks us in the eyes?" He glanced at me, but I averted my eyes. I didn't want to put his question to the test right now, especially if it was anything like the last soulgaze. I liked Kristoff, since he was so good to my sister, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know him that well.

Harry made a confused face, rubbing his chin. "I'm honestly not sure. Maybe her Sight hasn't developed enough, yet." The way he said it capitalized the first letter. "Does either of you want to test this? I usually wouldn't offer, but I don't want to deal with your suspicion. Elsa can vouch that nothing bad happened." He gave a resigned chuckle. "This is an interesting problem, my reputation usually precedes me."

Anna and Kristoff eyed me, and I nodded. They shared a look, and then Anna said, "I'll try it. This had better not be more of that mind magic Johanna was doing earlier." In response, Harry stood up out of his chair, walking over to where Anna was sitting. He cleared a seat on the short table, and upon sitting on it had his eyes level with my sister's. A small flutter of fear passed across my sister's face, but then she steeled herself and looked into his eyes.

I could tell immediately when the soulgaze started. They both froze, as if someone said their names. It lasted no more than a few seconds, which surprised me. It seemed as though I had been caught in its grip for far longer when Harry and I soulgazed. When it broke, Harry continued to look at Anna, a small tear sliding down his cheek. Anna put her hand to her mouth, whispering "How… could you?" She turned away, as if trying to banish an image from her head. She then stood out of her chair, motioning to Kristoff. "We'll leave you two to talk about magic and stuff. Come on, Kristoff, let's go."

* * *

><p><em>Such… love. <em>I watched Anna and Kristoff go, and all I could do was marvel that she kept going. Soulgazing her had revealed a single scene - a young Anna, filled with boundless energy and love, continuously trying to get Elsa to come out of her room. I got the sense that she had been attempting that for years.

"Different people don't see the same things, do they?" Elsa asked quietly. "Are those visions true? Why haven't I had this happen before?" She stood up, walking over to the food cart and picking up the teapot and a pair of cups. I took one when she walked back around, pouring myself a cup when she finished.

"No, they don't. It's sort of hard to tell, as it's considered rude to talk about what you experience. What you see is for your eyes only." I paused, thinking. "Soulgazing is tied to another sense, we call it the Sight. It allows you to see the world as it truly is, in some sense, but you don't forget experience either. The Sight can sometimes take time and training to manifest, so maybe yours just hasn't come in yet. I don't really know, however."

Elsa nodded at that, and reached for her tea. She took a long sip, clearly savoring the drink. What surprised me was when she breathed out, she let out a cloud of fog as though it was very cold outside. She noticed my astonishment, and put her hand over her mouth to cover a small laugh. "Doesn't that happen to you too? I noticed that you aren't affected by the cold, and you don't have any trouble with ice."

I shook my head, mind racing. "No, that's not normal. I've never even heard of it. I'm not even strictly 'normal,' myself." I reached out, taking a swig of my own tea. "Ok, so. Anyone with moderate magical talent gets some bonuses. We live longer, are more resistant to injury or disease, and get the Sight. That's usually it. I get the cold resistance from my… job, I guess."

"How much longer? What job?" She seemed genuinely curious now, and I realized that while all of this was second nature to me, she had likely never heard anything concrete about being a practitioner.

I thought about how to answer the second question. _'Winter Knight' means nothing here. I'm not Mab's evil hitman if no one knows about the Winter Court._ "I've heard of particularly strong wizards living over four hundred years. I am -"

Elsa's laugh cut me off. "Four hundred years? That's… impossible, right?" When I didn't laugh or contradict her, a concerned look flashed across her face and was gone. She took another sip of tea, which was followed by another cloud. "So what can… we, I guess, do? What sort of rules are there?" I could tell she wanted to avoid the lifespan topic for the moment. She made a hopeful smile asking, "There are rules, right?"

I let out a chuckle, saying, "Oh yes, there are many." I motioned her to stand up, and muttered "_Ventas servitas,_" causing several justs of wind to stir up and push all of the furniture away. "Something tells me we'll need demonstration space, and I don't want to set things on fire accidentally." Elsa let out a gleeful laugh, eyes shining.

"Let's talk about evocation. This is what you are thinking when you say 'magic,' though it's only half the picture." I stuck out my right hand, and summoned a fireball the size of a grapefruit hovering a few inches off my palm. "Evocation is done quickly, without much preparation. Most people use words from another language to give structure to their spells, to prevent the power from going awry. Mastering evocation is much more about control than raw power."

I made the fireball dissipate, pointing to the fireplace and saying "_Fuego."_ I only put a whisper of power into the spell, but a noticeable stream of fire shot from my hand. "Calling up elemental forces is dangerous. Fire, once summoned, acts just like fire would if it were there naturally." I made another fireball appear over my hand. "Evocating without words is really dangerous unless you have an exceptionally clear idea where the power is going and what it is doing."

Realization dawned on Elsa's face. "So if I'm not concentrating, or let stray ideas wander my mind…" I nodded. "Yeah, it can get really ugly, really fast. It takes years of practice to get to the point where you can reliably evoke, never mind trying it without some structure." She moved closer, looking at the fireball in my hand. "Fire? I thought you used ice, earlier."

"Fire's my best element, but I have some ability in all of the others. How you break up the various forces is personal choice, but I've always been partial to earth, wind, fire, water, and spirit." I made the fireball vanish with a small pop, and said "_Infrigia."_ A small winter storm came alive above my upraised right palm. Elsa looked at it with wide eyes, and then looked up at me. There was something akin to childlike wonder in the queen's face, and I realized that she has probably never been able to talk about magic with anyone. I gave her a smile, which was returned in spades.

_I could just lean in and…_ I forced that thought down. My affinity with frost magic was through the Winter Knight's mantle, and despite the fact that it was afraid of Elsa, I was finally feeling some effects. Now that I was thinking about it, I also realized that it had been messing with my mind while talking to those men last night. _Get back to the lesson_, I told myself. With a wave, I dispelled the little storm in my hand.

I looked away, and the tension faded. "Can you make things, too?" Elsa asked, still smiling. To demonstrate, she waved her left hand and made a wine glass appear. In response, I pointed my hand and said "_Glacivallare!_" A patch of frost formed in the floor, followed by a block of ice about one foot on a side. She let out a giggle, then went over and inspected the block. Once satisfied, she sat down on top of it and set the wineglass on the floor.

"Before you ask, yes I can do bigger," I explained. "However, Elsa, you have to understand something. You are more powerful than any mortal practitioner I have ever met. You are an order of magnitude or more powerful than me. I would collapse of exhaustion working spells before you even felt the faintest bit tired." I thought for a second. "You made that ice castle, didn't you? Alone?"

Elsa blushed, looking down at her hands. "Yeah, I did. It's a bit of a wreck right now, I keep meaning to go clean it up but haven't had the chance." A wistful look came over her eyes, and she said, "It would make a nice place to go relax." She suddenly glanced sharply in my direction, as though remembering something. "How do you fight with magic?"

I started answering as I walked over to retrieve our teacups. "Before I explain, I need to reiterate what I said last night. Never, except in the last line of self-defense, kill people or transform them with magic. Even then, it will leave a black mark on your soul." I walked over, handing Elsa her cup. "Magic comes from life. It's a part of you, as much as your arms. Killing someone with it will change you, since you are using your life force to end theirs."

"But… I turned my sister into ice. Does that mean I'm tainted? It was an accident!" Elsa looked at me with pleading eyes. "I hit her in the heart with magic, somehow, and it slowly froze her."

I tried to think about what would happen if someone just unleashed, raw, unfocused power. It wasn't easy to do, since spells were usually shaped by some minimal thoughts. But what if the practitioner was inexperienced, emotionally unstable, and backed by huge power? _Theoretically, it could have just come out as a curse._ "How did you get her out, if I may ask?"

Elsa looked down, grief still stricken on her face. _Good job Harry, make her cry._ "I didn't. She sacrificed herself to block a sword intended for me. The sword shattered, and then she thawed." She made an embarrassed face. "True love will thaw a frozen heart."

I let out a whistle, and Elsa looked up, confused. "You're not going to laugh at me?" she asked, curious. I shook my head. "Love is a powerful force, maybe the most powerful I know. I've done something like you describe myself, actually." I didn't want to talk about Susan right now, but for a brief moment I was in her arms in that horrible basement.

My face must have betrayed my feelings, because Elsa gave me a supportive smile. I tried to smile back, but it felt forced. Elsa seemed to understand, so she continued where we left off. "So no killing people or transforming them, or else." Curiosity was tinged with fear. "Or else what? Am I in trouble already?"

"No, you're not," I replied, thinking back to our soulgaze. "Or at least, it's not serious. People screw up, it's part of being human. You didn't set out to kill her, and intent is important, so you probably haven't suffered irreparable damage to your soul." I swirled my teacup. "If you do those things, or raise the dead, or invade peoples minds with magic, or try to travel back in time, enough, you will eventually go insane. You have a long way to go before then."

She let out a relieved breath of fog, and set her teacup down on the mantle. "So what do we actually do to defend ourselves?"

"Well," I said, "Preparation is key for wizards. I'll explain more about that later, but first let me show you some evocation."

* * *

><p>When I asked Harry to explain magic, I had expected much of his initial details. According to him, this was much easier due to the fact that I had already learned many of the rudiments for moving power around. What I didn't expect was the math. He showed me formulae, equations, and estimation techniques for how spells could and would work. While I took notes, he did small demonstrations.<p>

_This is incredible,_ I thought more than once while he was talking. Harry had been tense and calculated while answering Anna's questions, but he relaxed visibly while talking to me about magic. More than once he mirrored my excitement, telling short stories about how this spell had gone hilariously wrong or describing some clever working.

It struck me so suddenly that I laughed out loud in the middle of some explanation on fireball dynamics. "Power radiated goes like the fourth power of temperature… what's so funny?" Despite being interrupted, Harry was smiling. "I didn't realize thermodynamics was that amusing." That made me laugh harder, and it took me a few moments to collect myself.

I was having _fun,_ talking about _magic._ Those words hadn't appeared in the same thought in more than thirteen years. Sure, the staircase slide was fun, but there was still apprehension about people other than Anna seeing it. And while my sister wasn't exactly disinterested in discussing magic, she tended to switch subjects if I tried to talk about it.

"It's… nothing," I said, wiping a tear of laughter from my eye. "This is just a surreal experience, until now I've never had the chance to talk about magic with anyone." _At least, without them looking at me like a freak._ I realized Harry knew exactly what I was capable of doing, and had not shown even the slightest amount fear since our soulgaze. He let out a small laugh of his own. "Why don't we do more than talk? Let's see what you can do."

Harry and I made good use of the space he had cleared out for practicing. My original request - defending myself - was born out of my memories of the Duke's guards. Harry seemed more than happy to teach evocation this way, even after I offered to let him find a more effective route. "You'd be surprised how many wizards are taught like this," he said, and thus combat was the theme.

He proved to be a relentless and thorough teacher, critiquing my every move and pushing my abilities to the limit. We discussed defensive shields, spray attacks, entangling traps, and more. Though Harry assaulted me with various elements, I still struggled to wrangle my magic into a different form. So, while his attacks could force me around the floor or melt my defenses, mine only sent ice shards spinning from the stone walls.

Right now we were fighting in front of the the fireplace, and he was waving around an ice sword that I conjured up for him. My right forearm was encircled by a thick coating of ice, and there was a large shield attached in the middle. Harry swung at me with the sword, and I barely got the shield up in time.

The sword hit my shield with a _thunk_ I was sure would leave bruises later. _Not that it makes much difference,_ I noted, as we had been running and jumping and sliding around on the frost-covered floor for some time. I touched the shield with my other hand, freezing the sword in place. When Harry went to lift it, his hand slipped and he went flying backwards.

I stuck out my hand, letting loose a torrent of icicles. A small silver circlet on Harry's wrist started to glow, and an invisible force field sent most of them bouncing away. He explained how his staff and shield bracelet worked, but it would take weeks to make one for myself. I started to prepare another attack, but was cut off by Harry's voice.

"No, no, no," he said, irritated. "I realize that you haven't been using words to shape your spells, but you need to learn. Don't you have a word for that?" The reproach in his voice was audible, but there was also a note of pride. "Otherwise, you are doing very well. Your trick with the shield was good."

I blushed, but fished a piece of paper out of my pajama pocket. There was a large tear up one side of my pants, and several cuts in the top, but I didn't have time to feel awkward about it when Harry had me running from icicles. "Oh yes, I should have said '_Iss'_," I said, looking down at my handwriting. It was a word from Old Norse, like most of the ones I had picked to help me structure my spells. "How did you get out of that entangling spell earlier? I didn't see you do anything."

Harry shrugged. "I'll have to explain to you how counterspells work later. It's one thing to dispel your own magic, but quite another to pick apart someone else's. Suffice to say, I figured out how you froze my legs and undid it." He went over to the nearest couch and flopped down, letting out a long sigh. "It's the same way I pulled apart Jenalind's spell in the ballroom."

I followed him to the couch, sitting down next to him. We had been working hard, jumping and running and such, and this was the first real break we had taken. I looked out the window, and was startled to see that several hours had passed. I put my hand on Harry's leg, and his eyes snapped open. "Thank you," I said, "For everything. I can't tell you what it means to have someone talk about magic with me, never mind teach me how to do things with it."

Harry gave me a tired smile, and this time it touched his eyes. That was rare, as far as I had seen. It seemed as though he lived a life of violence and strife, which was backed up by his reflexes and strength. _When he picked up that block of ice and threw it at me… _ I blushed a bit, thinking about his calves, which I had exposed with a clever slicing attack. "You're welcome," he started, when there was a knock at the door.

We stood up and I looked around, but no amount of quick tidying was going to make my study reasonable. I had closed my writing desk before we started, and Harry had enchanted it somehow to be sturdy, but the rest of the furniture received no such blessing. There were cuts, holes, and melted ice on several couches. The rug had a slightly charred corner from a failed attempt to deflect fire, and with a start I realized that the door still had several icicles impaled through it from my last attack. For some reason there was a pungent smell coming from the cart with the remains of our breakfast on it. _The staff are going to have a field day with this one_, I thought.

I walked over to the door and opened it, only to find Anna standing there shocked. She walked slowly into the room, noticing the wet spots on the walls and the holes in the furniture. "Well," she said, with obvious distaste. "Looks like you two had a fun time." She stared at the holes in both of our clothes, and I blushed again. Anna rolled her eyes, but then proffered a sealed note from Herulvsen. "This came for you while you were, uh, busy."

I took the note, breaking the wax seal on a wooden shard sticking out of the door. "Oh no," I said, reading the note. "Another murder, earlier today."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

"Aren't you a little… disturbed?" Anna asked.

I tried to ask "About what?" but it came out muffled as I changed out of my ruined pajamas. Anna had followed me back to my room, and was sitting on the bed as I changed in the wardrobe closet. She still wasn't quite her usual sunny self, though I didn't know if that was due to the news of murder or her soulgaze with Harry. I repeated myself once my head was clear of the fresh dress, and Anna let out a snort.

"You know, how he is more than happy to teach you about magic, and then several hours later you're putting holes in the furniture?" Though she couldn't see, I made an embarrassed face. I rummaged around in the bottom of the closet to find suitable shoes for walking around in the snow. The latest murder was in a town several miles north of the capital, so we would have to ride out there.

"I don't see the issue, though I suppose we could have been more careful." I replied. "I asked him specifically to show me how to defend myself. It seems like a useful thing to know, especially with recent events." When I walked out from the closet, Anna turned around. There was a rare frown on her face. "Besides, we talked about a lot more theory. He just used those as practical examples."

My sister didn't buy that argument, but I wasn't exactly ready to tell her the other reason. I hadn't yet told Anna the full details of the attempt on my life by the Duke's bodyguards in my ice castle, instead saying that there was a fight and the chandelier was shot down. The Arendelle guards that had accompanied him had been sworn to secrecy. I wasn't ready to admit that only Hans' words had saved those two men, especially given his later actions. When word had arrived from the Southern Isles that their youngest prince would face punishment, Anna had locked herself in her room and cried for nearly an hour before she let me in to comfort her. I didn't want to see how she'd react to the idea that he had saved me from myself.

I still had nightmares, sometimes, where I killed both men, or Hans, or the others who had come to take me. I watched, both horrified and uncaring, as the Duke's guards were pushed into the ravine or impaled through the neck. Waking up crying at that point was blessing, because otherwise the nightmares continued, and I was using my power as weapon to rule, to kill. When I woke from those, Anna had held me while I cried more than I thought possible, despite my inability to tell her why.

_No. I refuse to let that be my fate._ It had actually been some time since I had thought about such things, but Harry had referenced the ice castle earlier and now it wouldn't leave my brain. I wanted to understand my capabilities, so that in the future I could defend myself without being afraid of killing people. If an assassin came for me now, following my talk with Harry, I was much more confident I could handle the situation correctly.

I tried to banish those memories by thinking instead about how much fun I had earlier in the morning. There had been a certain perverse fun in dueling with Harry, which was bolstered by his own enjoyment. The theory had been exciting, in an intellectual way, but there was just something… thrilling about throwing magic around the room. The comparison was similar to calculating a snowball's trajectory and actually throwing it down someone's dress.

Lost in thought, I hesitated too long before giving my sister an answer. Anna raised an eyebrow. "Elsa, he's dangerous. Like, really, really dangerous. Even if he has good intentions…" She shook her head. "Can't you find anyone else to teach you?"

"Anna, _I'm_ really dangerous. All I'm trying to do is understand my own power better so I don't have to worry about hurting people anymore." _Especially you, sister._ "There's so much to learn! There's all sorts of rules and theorems, and Harry even started teaching me about some of the math." I gave a barely-forced laugh, spinning around and making several small snow flurries weave around me in the air. "It's all so exciting! Can't I just enjoy my power for a moment, as opposed to being haunted by it?"

"Yes," she retorted nastily, eying my little display. "But do you have to be learning how to hurt people? You are capable of so much more, Elsa. I've seen the things you've made. Can't you focus on that instead?" She got up, stalking over to the window. I saw her reflection, and she was struggling to calm herself. "I don't want you to end up like… him," she said quietly.

"What about him?" I asked, a tad too defensively. "Everything I've seen of Harry tells me that he actually cares about other people. Sure, he's a bit too familiar with violence, but I think deep down he's a caring person." I moved towards my sister, and put my hand on her shoulder. "He's not some murderous psychopath, and he's not going to turn me into a monster." Anna turned towards me, and the memory of two men with crossbows resurfaced. "Or at least, any more than I am already," I whispered.

At that, Anna jerked back. Her face softened somewhat, and she said quietly "You're not a monster, Elsa. I don't know why you can't shake this idea from your head." She walked to the door, so I couldn't see her face. However, I could hear the subdued anger when she said, "And I don't know why you think you that Harry Dresden, of all people, could teach you to be less of a monster."

When she reached the door, she turned, giving me an unreadable look. "I'm glad you're having… fun," she said. "I'll be downstairs, waiting for you in the courtyard." The door didn't exactly slam behind her, but it was close. I stood there, stupefied. "What did I do?" I wondered out loud, looking at the door that had kept us separated for so long.

Anna's anger confused me. I honestly didn't think my sister was capable of being unpleasant, and I had never seen her in such a foul mood. I almost wanted to run and ask her what she saw in the soulgaze, but she began acting strangely even before that. I tried to think back to her reactions, and with a blush realized she originally thought I had some sort of romantic interest in him. _Then, suddenly, she doesn't like him. What did he do?_

Anna would cool down eventually, I hoped, pushing her anger aside for the moment. I tried to focus on what needed to happen today, including the unexpected trip to another grieving family. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was nearly noon. It was a half-hour ride to our destination, so if we could spend a few hours there, at most, before we would have to return and prepare for the event tonight.

Tonight was yet another installment in the winter solstice festivities, and it was one I was dreading. I did my best to avoid big social gatherings, preferring peace and quiet to loud music and constant chatter - even if it was also my own birthday. Unfortunately, being the queen meant that I had to at least attend these events, though I usually sat at the high table instead of dancing. Kai had taught me to dance, at Anna's insistence, but I rarely utilized his lessons.

However, tonight's event was unusually taxing. Most of the nights over the last week had music and dancing in addition to food and mingling. Tonight was different in that the dance was the main attraction, and the monarch was expected to lead the first number. Gerda and Kai had stood in for me in the three years I had avoided it, but now that the festivities had returned to the castle ballroom there was a great deal of pressure for me to attend. Unfortunately, I didn't have a partner. _I suppose could ask Lewis. It would be appropriate, as my parents appointed him my regent. He does make me laugh._

I finished packing my satchel with writing equipment and some food I had kitchens bring up while considering the best way to avoid going to the party. _I could try to send Anna and Kristoff in my place. _ That might work, though it flew in the face of tradition, and it would put awkward political pressure on my sister when she was already upset with me. I sighed, putting out the lamps with a series of tiny icy gusts, and headed towards the main gate.

When I arrived outside, Harry and Anna were waiting for me, but instead of horses, there was Sven and Kristoff. Harry was sitting on the rim of the nearby fountain, idly picking at the carvings on his staff. Anna was very pointedly not looking at him. I drew closer, and she rushed up and gave me a hug. "Elsa, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I was just overreacting. I want you to be happy, and I can see that this is important to you. I'll be nice to Harry, for your sake, and everything will be great."

Something in her voice told me everything was far from great, but I didn't want to call her out on it. "No Anna, I'm sorry. You're my sister, and nothing comes before you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, so why don't we talk more about this later." I tried to give her a squeeze, but she pulled out of the hug, saying "Don't worry about it, Elsa, I'll be fine." There was a finality to her words, and she walked back to Kristoff.

* * *

><p>I followed her, though it was clear she didn't want to talk. Instead, I pulled a carrot out of my satchel and gave it to Sven. The kitchens had quickly learned to stock the vegetable, since man and reindeer consumed them at a prodigious rate. Kristoff gave me a thankful smile, which I returned. "I figured this would be easier than horses," he said. "Work is obviously slow now, and Sven could use the exercise."<p>

"You won't hear an objection from me," I replied. Harry grunted in agreement. _Why is Anna so perturbed about you? What is she so afraid of? _"Are we ready to leave immediately? We need to be back for the dance tonight."

"Another dance?" I asked eventually as we walked. "How often do you throw fancy parties?" I was walking next to Kristoff, and the oppressive silence of Anna on his other side was starting to get to me. She had made her sudden distaste in me quite clear, refusing even to look in my direction. _We should have been more careful with the furniture,_ I mused.

Elsa had real talent, which made it quite easy to teach her. She barely needed my explanations, grasping the fundamentals very quickly. She also had a great deal of practice moving energy around and shaping spells, enough that I wondered if she would ever actually need to use words when evocating. That last bit was somewhat worrying, because it meant she could react with magic almost faster than she could think.

Then again, it was hard for me to put myself in her shoes. _I suppose the magic could work differently here, with a much higher base power level._ Elsa wasn't exactly an Earth wizard, despite the similarities. She actually had physiological changes due to her power, which was almost if not totally unheard of in my universe. There was something else that was tickling my brain about her, but I couldn't tease it out.

Kristoff eventually answered me, despite the glare it garnered from Anna. "This week is special, it's the winter solstice tomorrow night. We have been having dancing and feasting for five nights in a row. There's a big bonfire at midnight of the last day." He gave Anna an apologetic glance, and she relented somewhat. "It's been tradition for a very long time, nevermind the fact that Elsa's birthday is the night of the solstice."

I had been right, then. The stars in this world were almost exactly the same as Earth, so my best guess based on the positions of the constellations had been late December. _They probably don't call it December here,_ I realized. However, if the Earth orbited in the Sun in approximately the same way, there would be a solstice in the middle of winter. His comment on Elsa tickled my brain again.

Elsa had fallen behind us, lost in her thoughts and wringing her hands. Her earlier enthusiasm about magic had been displaced with confusion and anxiety, based on the glances she would direct at Anna and I, respectively. When I asked about the party, however, she rushed up next to her sister. "Anna, I'm not sure I can go tonight. Can I ask you a huge favor?" she said with a pleading look.

Anna's mask finally slipped, and she let out a giggle. "Don't you want to go dancing in front of everyone? You could wear your ice dress again!" she said with an evil smile. "I'm sure we could find you a partner. That foreign minister from way south is tall enough, and I saw him dancing last night." She giggled again, making a dancing motion, but Elsa just scowled at her while blushing.

"No, Anna," Elsa eventually replied. "Look, I know it's traditional and all to have the monarch lead the first dance, but I would really rather not." She stopped, fidgeting with her hands and looking down. For a moment, the regal queen was gone and in her place was a very anxious girl. "You know I'm not really good at that kind of thing."

Kristoff and I walked a few steps before realizing that Anna and Elsa had stopped. They were quietly discussing something, though at one point Anna shot me a glare that should have burnt holes in my skin. I turned to Kristoff and gave him an inquisitive look, but he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know anything," he said. "I decided just not to get involved when they have disagreements."

The sisters soon joined us, their discussion concluding quickly. Whatever tension was there appeared to be dispelled, and when they joined us we continued towards the gate. "Kristoff," Anna said with a grin, "what are your thoughts on dancing?" She reached up to kiss his cheek, and his face lapsed into a resigned half-smile. Elsa smiled at that, holding her hand to her mouth, then walked over next to me.

"Harry," she said quietly, though Anna was too busy torturing Kristoff with descriptions of her plans for tonight to listen. "I know we had fun today, and I appreciate everything you've done, but no more lessons on fighting with magic." She looked up at me, and there was irritation on her face. "Can we just stick to theory, or at least non-destructive examples?"

I gave her a confused look, but she eyed her sister and I understood. "Sure, no problem. I still have to explain thaumaturgy, so there's plenty of things left to discuss." Elsa nodded eagerly, and I smiled. "It will give us something to talk about on the ride." _The princess must be upset about the furniture or something._

The earlier silence must have stretched longer than I thought, because it was only a few minutes before we arrived at the gate. Anna spent the entire time teasing Kristoff, so I decided to wait before talking more about magic. The guards waved us through, giving bows to Elsa and Anna. Kristoff's sleigh was being watched by a bored guard who gratefully went back inside at our arrival. While Sven was attached to the reins, Elsa and Anna had a short argument of who was sitting where.

Kristoff and Anna climbed up in the driver's seat, leaving Elsa and I sitting the back. I put my back against the rear gate, and originally Elsa was sitting with her back against the driver's seat. I tried to give her the more comfortable position, but my chivalry was rejected with a sniff. Not long after we started moving, however, I found Elsa sitting down next to me. There wasn't quite enough room, but Elsa turned and gave me a smile that might have been mistaken for apologetic.

The ample snow cover gave a surprisingly comfortable ride in addition to giving the landscape a picturesque winter wonderland decoration. Our path quickly took us away from the outskirts of the city and into the forest, and soon it seemed as though we had left civilization behind. That particular illusion was bolstered by the sudden arrival of a snow shower, which garnered a backwards glance from Kristoff and an exasperated sigh from Elsa. "Snow does fall when I'm not around, you know," she said sarcastically.

We rode in silence for a bit before Elsa shifted next to me, a motion I tried very hard to ignore. She had an awkward smile on her face, and was blushing slightly. Suddenly I doubted she had switched positions out of comfort alone. "You called the other half of magic 'thaumaturgy.' How do we do that?" I had to shoo away several inappropriate thoughts before answering, wishing that the Winter Knight's mantle would reacquire some of its earlier fear.

"It might be easier to call it 'ritual magic' for the moment, though that isn't entirely correct," I started, pausing when Anna twisted and gave Elsa and I an unpleasant look. Elsa returned it with an upraised eyebrow, and Anna turned back around and crossed her arms. "You can perform far more complicated magic, since you can take the time to prepare exactly how the magic will function."

Elsa pondered that for a second, eyes unfocused as the wheels turned in her head. "So, why do you need the circle? I see now that it provided some sort of magical barrier."

"You're right about the barrier part. Circles are impermeable to magic. Many delicate spells, even those that move lots of power around, can be disrupted by random magical energies in the air. So in addition to providing a concentration aid, it also prevents the spell from unravelling due to fluctuations." I thought back to an acid-spitting demon and a legion of summoned men in suits. "Circles also provide defense from magical attacks, and are necessary to trap summoned entities."

"What happens if you break the circle? I saw you just throw a pebble through the boundary, last time."

"Well," I began, "it depends. Rituals in progress will generally be disrupted, and it can be hard to predict exactly what will happen. Some spells are only activated by disrupting the circle." My tracking spell was an example of that last. "If you are using a circle defensively, it will vanish and make you vulnerable. If there is a summoned entity in the circle, it will be freed." I wasn't sure if I wanted to broach the last subject in its full generality, as I had no information about the supernatural in this universe.

At Elsa's prompting, I described my tracking spell. It wasn't a difficult lesson, as she understood the flow of energy, but we couldn't easily test it without stopping the sleigh. What we could test, however, was making circles and powering them up. I pulled out my chalk, motioning Elsa to pull her feet back so that we could make use of the limited floor space.

I drew the first circle, describing how to power it up with a small effort of will. Curiosity must have gotten the better of Anna, because she turned around and watched me and Elsa without the frown associated with my presence. Elsa jumped slightly when I infused the circle, then brought her head closer. "Try to make it snow in there," I said.

Elsa nodded, and a bluish swirl of power channeled out of her left hand. However, when it hit the boundary of the circle, it split and went streaming out on either side. I then stuck my hand through the circle, causing it to disintegrate, and snow started to collect in the ring. When that happened, Elsa let out an excited yelp, and then asked me for the chalk.

I gave it to her, erasing my own marks and sweeping away the small pile of snow. She drew a similarly-sized circle, but didn't power it up immediately. I glanced at her, and there was a look of intense concentration on her face. "It's… weird," she muttered, "I'm so used to -" but was interrupted when the circle suddenly sprang to life. "That was really strange!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "It was like flexing a muscle I didn't know I had."

I nodded at that, inspecting her work. It was a circle, all right, but it was considerably more juiced-up than my version. "You don't need to put in quite this much power, but otherwise this is really good." I invited Elsa to poke at her creation, and she reached down and smudged the chalk line. The circle disappeared with a pop, and Anna said suddenly, "Oh? That works too?" I looked up in slight surprise, but the younger sister had turned back around to face forward. "Yes it does" I replied, and I thought she gave a slight nod.

I pocketed the chalk, leaning back against the sled and stretching my legs back out. I explained several other simple rituals, such as seeing things far away and the basics of protective wards, but when I finished Elsa didn't have her slew of usual questions. Her attention was elsewhere, head resting in her hands and staring out into the passing forest. With a start, I realized that the snowstorm was becoming significantly worse, to the point that I could barely see more than several feet in front of the sled.

Kristoff made a motion with the reins, causing his reindeer to come to a stop. "We have to go around a ridge ahead, and it's safer just to wait for this little storm to pass," he explained while simultaneously pulling his coat tighter. Anna mimicked his behavior, and I was once again grateful that I only needed my duster to stay comfortable. _Wait a second, why is it colder? The wind isn't blowing…_

I went to put my hand on Elsa's shoulder, and my suspicions were confirmed when the hair tried to stand up on the back of my arm. _This isn't good._ She didn't react when I touched her shoulder, but at my murmured "Elsa, what's wrong" she stood up from the sled and walked several feet away. Anna and Kristoff noticed the movement, and the younger sister gave me a fierce glare. "What did you do," Anna hissed at me, but was blocked from her attempt to stand up by Kristoff.

Whatever Anna was going to say next was cut off by her sister. "Harry, please come here for a second." She spoke with the calm seriousness of a person who only just discovered everything they knew was wrong. I stood up from the sled, walking over to where she stood. "I want to… test something. Can you draw a circle around me?" She turned to face me, and there were tears in her eyes.

I nodded, using my foot to etch a circle in the snow around the queen. As soon as I imbued it with a small effort of will, the severity of the storm lessened. Elsa and I stood facing each other as the weather dissipated, eventually returning to the light snow that we had embarked through earlier. As the weather improved, Elsa's mood deteriorated. By time I could see that we were sitting on a cliff overlooking the Arendelle city fjord, she was sitting in the snow and crying into her hands.

I hunched down as near to her as the circle would allow, and after a moment she started talking. "I lived in fear for thirteen years," she near whispered. "Fear of myself, fear of what I would become, fear for my sister, fear for the kingdom that would one day be mine." There was a shuffling noise from behind us, and I realized that Anna had left the sled too. Elsa continued, looking towards the fjord. "I avoided contact with everyone, fearing I was too dangerous to even stay in the same room."

Had I not been looking at her, I wouldn't have caught the slight contortion of her face. Instinct told me to dive, and I dove onto Anna, bearing us both down into the snow. Elsa stood up in a rage, and the snow around her feet flew up and apart in a furious wave - destroying the circle. "THIS IS ALL I NEEDED TO DO!?" she screamed, though it was muffled by the powder that now covered us.

Anna and I stuck our heads about the snow simultaneously, causing Elsa to whip around. The fury on her face turned to shock when she saw her sister, and she fell to her knees. "I'm sorry Anna, sorry, sorry…" Anna scrambled out of the snow and rushed over to her sister. I didn't follow, instead opting to dig myself out and sit down instead. I watched as Elsa sobbed into her sister's shoulder.

"Elsa," I said quietly, and both sisters looked at me. "It's not that simple. Circles break too easily…" I trailed off, looking at the huddled figure in front of me. A young werewolf's words floated to me from a seeming eternity ago. _You're hurting. You need help._ I had just lost Susan to the Red Court's machinations, and only the unshakable support from my friends had prevented me from imploding. It had baffled me at the time.

I didn't even realize I was looming over Elsa until I offered her my hand. "You are only human. Your powers don't prevent you from loving, from feeling, or from making mistakes. You don't live on some higher plane of existence." I smiled, but I knew there was at least one tear in my eye.

She took my hand and stood up, helping Anna up shortly after. "I suppose," she replied hesitantly, "but power comes with responsibility…" Kristoff joined us, and Anna reluctantly followed him back towards the sled while he fussed over her. They both shot me glances, his appreciative and hers unreadable.

Elsa and I stood looking out over the ledge for a long moment before I broke the silence. "I don't know what's worse - worrying about hurting loved ones or watching their attempts to understand our fears."

The queen still had the occasional tear, and to my amazement the small drops of water froze to ice almost immediately after ceasing contact with her skin. She didn't reply to my comment immediately, choosing instead to fight some internal struggle. _Have I ever done that,_ I thought solemnly. "How do you deal with the fear?" she whispered, staring down at her hands.

"_Fear is the mind killer,_" I quoted. "I eventually realized that it wasn't my job to keep people from danger; all I could do was protect them to the best of my ability." I felt another tear slide down my cheek. _Oh, Susan..._

Elsa gave me a sad, empathetic smile, but shook her head. "No, I meant… more like hurting people with your power."

I cocked my head at her, confused. "That's why I'm teaching you. Mastering magic is a long process," I started, but she was shaking her head more vigorously.

"I'm afraid," she said quietly, "about what I might _do_ with my power."

"Oh, that's simple," I said. "You have to choose to become a monster, and you can't do that if you care." The ease at which those words came out of my mouth surprised me. My entire life had been spent with the same fear, but I only now understood why so many wiser people had seemed bemused when talking with me. "I know it sounds silly, but what really matters is what you choose to do."

Elsa stared at me dumbly for a few seconds. Her mouth opened and closed several times, and her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "It can't be that simple," came her eventual objection.

"Oh, really? What makes someone a monster, then? Powers they can't control, or using those powers for nefarious purposes?"

"I… hm."

I chuckled, and a ghost of a smile crossed Elsa's lips. "You care, Elsa. By all accounts, you have worked hard to reign in your powers, which is no small task. Until you choose to cause suffering and ignore its effect on others, you're no more of a monster than your sister." Elsa glanced behind us to her sister, now sitting on the sled with Kristoff. She blinked several times, realization coming over her features. "We should probably get going," she said.

As I turned to walk the few feet back to the sled, I was surprised by Elsa suddenly pulling me into an embrace. "Thank you," she said. I awkwardly returned the hug, not due to inappropriate thoughts, but because my mind was racing. _You don't understand something until you teach it._ Our lesson had been short, but maybe I wasn't as far gone as I had feared.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

The remainder of our ride was silent except for the sound of the runners cutting through snow and the reindeer's heavy breath. Elsa still sat next to me, though her practiced calm had returned and she was deep in thought. I didn't want to contribute any extra mental noise to whatever she was considering, so I too took the opportunity to think.

I was still mulling over Michael's words when we rounded the last bend. The town lay nestled where one of the mountain rivers met the fjord, complete with docks and walls and a tall building with a clock. Even from several hundred yards out I could tell that the little settlement was bustling with activity, the mundane activities that constituted daily life.

Upon reaching the town, I was somewhat surprised to find the sheriff from last night waiting by the gate. He gave gracious bows to the queen and princess when they exited the sled, and to my surprise offered me a nod of his head. "Your Majesty, I am somewhat surprised how quickly you have arrived."

"My people are in danger," Elsa replied tersely, though not directed at the captain. "I must give my full support. Before we begin, do you have any news from last night?"

The captain nodded at me. "Your… private investigator was correct. We found the actual murder weapon in a gutter several streets over. It appears to be a plain knife, but for some reason the assailant did not bother to clean off the blood." His eyebrows scrunched down. "In fact, it would have been found by locals relatively easily, even if we were not looking."

"Why make it look like a suicide, then?" Anna asked quietly. Elsa and I shared a glance - we were wondering the same thing.

The captain sighed. "I don't know. My men should be there trying to find eyewitnesses right now. Hopefully that will shed light on the situation."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you for your efforts, Viktor. If you don't mind, can you take Harry here to see the most recent crime? I need to speak with the mayor."

The captain nodded and bowed, then turned and beckoned me to follow. I matched his quick pace until we were out of earshot of the queen before slowing. He turned, opening his mouth to speed me along, but I started talking first. "Have you lived in Arendelle your whole life?" I asked.

My question caught him off-guard, and he stopped in his tracks. "Um, yes," he said, head tilted in confusion.

"Well, in case it wasn't obvious, I am relatively new here. Usually I don't give a damn about such things, but I did learn Elsa has only officially been queen for several months." I ignored the tightening of his eye's at my familiar use of Elsa's name. "We discussed the events surrounding her coronation, but we were talking magic, not politics." I sighed, mentally cursing Mab. "I need to know more about the latter."

The older man eyed me for a moment. "I suppose I could answer a few questions," he said carefully. "But I won't compromise -"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm here to solve murders and find faeries, not overthrow the kingdom. I just want to make sure there aren't motivations I don't know about."

That seemed to placate him, and so we resumed walking, albeit at a much slower pace. "First, tell me about the late King and Queen. Were they well liked?"

The captain nodded. "Oh, yes. They were quite popular, in fact. Despite closing the castle gates, they still made an effort to be visible. The country did very well under their rule, and it was a tragedy when they passed."

"What happened after the accident?" As we walked, I tried to observe what I could about the town. It was quite clean, all told, and seemed quite prosperous. We passed shops of all sorts, with the captain garnering quite a few friendly waves.

"Elsa became the queen, though she wasn't crowned. Lord Lewis was appointed her regent by her father, to some disappointment of the other three families. They form a council of sorts, but only out of organizational necessity. Each holds lands in and governs a part of the kingdom, while Lord Lewis handles the merchants and capital itself."

_Ugh, politics._ "How did Elsa do? Did the people like her?"

A rare smile floated across the sheriff's lips. "She actually did very well, all things considered. Elsa was very reserved, but nevertheless was clever and efficient." He thought for a second. "I should say, 'is clever and efficient.' From many objective standpoints, she's been an excellent queen since even before her coronation. Issues are addressed quickly, taxes somehow make sense, and the kingdom is prospering."

He paused, both in conversation and walking. We were standing in the middle of the town square, staring out at the bustle around us. "The people cheered when Elsa emerged from the castle for the first time. They were excited to meet the person behind the edicts, who unlike her father was never seen out and about." He grimaced, clearly remembering the night. "Her magic… was not initially met with such enthusiasm."

"Bad enough to cause unrest?" I asked quietly, and the captain understood my meaning.

"No, never that bad. There was some discontent, but governing lords and ladies made it quite clear that they were happy with Elsa, magic and all. I don't think she threatened them directly, but neither did she try to put their fears at rest." He glanced down a road, and I saw the queen and princess approaching. The captain took this as his cue to continue, and I followed. "The people were very happy with her prior to the Freeze, and the overwhelming majority concluded her powers were worth the stability."

"And the small minority?"

The captain gave me a hard smile. "They somehow always realize that the Queen froze her own sister. What would she do to them?"

* * *

><p>I knew that it was an irrational and impractical pet peeve, but for whatever reason it annoyed me that whenever we passed people on the street they stopped their current activity to bow or curtsy for me and Anna. The people in the capital were slowly becoming more used to my more casual approach to royalty, but here in Stavan - miles north of the capital - the citizens still continued their old ways.<p>

"Do you think that bakery is still open?" Anna asked next to me. My last visit to this town had been more casual, and Anna and I stopped into stalls and shops, meeting the locals. We discovered a bakery down a side street that brought in chocolate for pastries, and it had been difficult to convince my sister to leave.

I was already trying to smile and wave, but the grin from remembering Anna's chocolate-covered dress needed no encouragement. "I'm sure it is, Anna, with how many pastries you bought last time."

My sister stuck out her tongue at me, and despite being the queen I almost made a snowball and threw it at her. Instead, I gave her my best grin and continued walking. "As I recall, Anna, it took both you and Kristoff to carry the box back to the boat." I looked around, noticing that Kristoff didn't follow us. "Speaking of, where is he?"

Anna shrugged. "I think he and Sven went to find food." There was the tiniest quirk of a smile at the end of her sentence.

I would have asked if "food" included a sled full of pastries, but was interrupted by cries of "It's the queen and princess!" from several small voices when we walked into the town square. A small pack of children ran up to us, their parents lingering near the edge. They offered curtsies and bows, though there was a certain hardness to their faces. _At least they let their kids run around near me_ I thought, remembering a hastily withdrawn child and a mother's fear.

At the kids' insistence, I summoned up a small snowshower in the middle of the square. They started cheering, diving into the snow and running around with the wild abandon of youth. After a moment, I summoned up several inanimate snowmen, which generated another round of laughs and yells. Giving their parents an appreciative look, I watched them for a moment, enjoying the opportunity to bring them happiness.

I was pulled out of my reverie by Anna, who declared, "I'll be right back!" before sprinting towards the docks. I shrugged, not entirely sure what she was doing, before walking towards the town hall. Lady Helga Tamoff, who controlled Stavan and some villages further south, lived in a manor to the west. She was usually reclusive, only venturing to the capital for council meetings, and more recently, for the solstice festivities. Her eldest son, Alfons, was the mayor of Stavan and had remained.

Stavan was the last large settlement on this branch of the fjord, around five hundred people. Most of its revenue, I recalled, was through fishing and trapping. The remaining land to the north was mostly farming and timber before turning into mountains. The dock on the fjord provided a warm-weather connection with the capital, though at the moment the barges were absent due to ice.

Alfons was sitting at his desk when I entered his office in the town hall. He stood, offering me a formal bow. "Your Majesty, this is somewhat unexpected. How are the festivities in the capital?" I sat down in the chair in front of his desk, and he mirrored me. "Well enough," I replied, "Though in some ways I envy your ability to avoid them." I squirmed slightly, as the padded chair made a welcome contrast to the blanket we had be sitting on in the sled.

Alfons laughed at my remark, his belly shaking. He was a portly man, with long brown hair the same color as his mother's and clever grey eyes behind glasses. "Indeed, Your Majesty. I have never been a big fan of large engagements, so I enjoy being able to claim that my town needs me." I returned his laugh, holding my hand over my mouth and saying "Be careful, or I'll throw a ball up here."

He laughed even harder. I liked Alfons Tamoff. He administered his town competently, was well liked by his citizens, and was generally amicable. "Before we start into more depressing business," he said when his laughter subsided, "I want to take a moment and bring a few issues to your attention. I was in the process of writing to you..." He looked at me for approval, and I nodded. "Indeed. The sewer system beneath Stavan needs some small repairs, as do the docks. We also appear to have a surplus of potatoes, far in excess of my original projections."

"I see. If you could, please finish your letter and send all necessary reports with it. I will speak with the Royal Engineer and see if there is anything that can be accomplished during the winter." One of my early ideas had been to offer Crown support on all infrastructure repairs, which was welcomed even if taxes were raised slightly. I thought back to the papers on my desk. "As for the potatoes, I believe… yes. I will send someone to negotiate a price, if you wish to sell." That would go far towards helping the poor in the capital.

There was a knock at the door before he could respond. Harry stuck his head in, saying "Elsa, you need to come look at this." Alfons' eyes widened at Harry's impropriety, but the latter seemed not to notice. "Actually, maybe you don't want to see it. But we do need to talk."

I stood up, noting Harry's impatience. Alfons followed me to my feet, bowing, and I said, "Time for depressing business, unfortunately. The crown will offer whatever support is needed." The mayor's face tensed, and I returned his hard stare. "We will catch this person, Alfons. And then we will dispense justice."

* * *

><p>My adventures over the past few years had brought me to some fairly gruesome crime scenes. When dark wizards use magic to kill, the results were almost uniformly messy, and I had run across several examples. That was not to say that vanilla mortals couldn't be equivalently messy, but they usually had to try harder. Unfortunately, the killer in the most recent murders seemed to be trying quite hard.<p>

"Elsa," I said, turning to face her in front of the door. The little house in front of us would comfortably fit a small family. There was a garden around the back and all of the trappings of a lived-in home. "I am warning you now: this ranks among the most unpleasant anything that I have encountered." She started to nod, but something in my face must have stopped her. "If you don't want to come inside, that's perfectly ok."

"No," she said quietly. "I appreciate your concern, but if someone is in my kingdom, killing my people, then I cannot afford to be squeamish." There was an uncharacteristic hardness in her voice, the same as when she had spoken to the captain. _Note to self: don't come between her and her citizens._

"I don't think it is a question of squeamishness," I replied. Next to the door was a bucket I had found in the garden, and I indicated it to Elsa. "If you need it."

She nodded, and after a moment steeled her face. There were flutters of fear and nervousness in her features, and for an instant I was reminded of a much younger Harry Dresden about to start an investigation of a mobster and his girlfriend. I didn't think Elsa would ever be a hardened criminal investigator, but that wasn't going to stop her from helping her people.

I walked up to the door, mentally preparing myself to go back in this room. I fervently hoped I would not also need the bucket, since only one of us could reasonably use it at a time. "Don't say I didn't warn you," I muttered when Elsa joined me, and I pushed open the door.

I had been right about the "small family" conclusion, but I had also been right about the "lived" part. There were four fresh corpses in the middle of the central room, two adult sized and two smaller. They were horribly mutilated, covered in dozens of cuts and with chunks missing. The truly horrifying part was that almost every square inch of the room - walls, floor, ceiling - were covered in blood.

Elsa made a sick-sounding noise behind me, followed by liberal use of the bucket. I managed to keep my nausea under control, but only by not looking too carefully at the smaller bodies. On my first visit I had gone over the scene with a critical eye, ignoring the screaming in my head, but this time I had no such guard. I left the room before I was sick, joining Elsa outside.

We sat side by side on the steps in front of the house for several minutes before either person spoke. I broke the silence with what I had learned the first time. "They were killed earlier this morning, based on how coagulated the blood was on the walls." _And the ceiling._ "It is hard to tell, but based on the nature of the wounds… they didn't die immediately." I closed my eyes, trying my best to not think of the implications. "According to your deputies, they were all family, though there was a youngest daughter who survived."

Elsa abruptly stood up, forcing a mask of cool calmness on her face despite her red eyes. "Can we go somewhere else? This place just feels… wrong, somehow." I nodded my head, and we walked towards the fjord. The house was on the eastern edge of the village, but instead of heading directly to the water Elsa took a more northern route. We passed out of the gates before we reached the fjord, and upon stopping we were several hundred feet from the wall.

The edge of the water was filled with rocks, and after some deliberation Elsa found a suitable rock and climbed on top of it. She was somewhat hampered by the dress she was wearing, but a moment's effort had her standing. I followed, and she offered me a hand up which I gratefully took. We sat on the rock, both trying to come to terms with the scene we had just witnessed.

I didn't need much time, as years in the business had dulled my senses. That might have been worrying on another day, but at the moment it meant that I could help Elsa. She had clearly no experience with horrifying murders, and was still in some form of shock. I didn't want to push her too quickly, but we couldn't sit on this rock all day.

"I don't understand," she finally said. Her voice sounded distant, somehow, as though she was trying avoid thinking about something. I didn't blame her. "What is with all of this senseless violence recently? First the cobbler, then the men at the feast, and now this. I don't see a pattern."

"I don't either," I replied uneasily. "I don't see any connection whatsoever between all of the victims, including those men." Elsa gave me a confused glance. "I am fairly certain that Jenalind put the mental whammy on them. It was sloppy and they had very little chance of succeeding, so I'm not quite sure why she did it."

Realization dawned on her face, and she said, "Glamour, just like what she used at the party."

_The party. Why toy with everyone, unless…_ A thought occurred to me. "Fae are a manipulative and sadistic bunch, but they aren't stupid. There must be some reason she tried glamouring everyone that night, then sent two men who would have practically no chance of actually assassinating you. She's not toying with you, she's _testing_ you."

Elsa blinked, some of her collected demeanor slipping. "You called them predators, earlier. That's exactly what she was doing, nibbling at the flanks like a wolf." Her eyes unfocused as she thought for a second, and then snapped back on to me. "She wants to know how we react to her advances. It fits exactly her behavior earlier."

I leaned back, thinking. "To what end, though? Even if we assume she is somehow behind the murders, what is her goal?" It was seeming more and more likely that Jenalind came over to this universe on her own, as opposed to being kidnapped. That opened another can of worms, because if she was here on her own volition, what was the point of all of the dramatics at Arctis Tor?

Elsa looked towards me, as though expecting that thought to continue. Instead, I met her eyes and shrugged. The feeling that I was missing something huge returned, but I was still unable to put my finger on it. There must have been some reason that the portal connected to this particular universe. I tried to tease it out, but my brain kept thinking about the blood dripping from the ceiling.

We sat for several more minutes, and I jumped slightly when Elsa spoke again. "Why couldn't Jenalind have killed these people?" she asked.

"Oh, that's simple," came my response. "Homes, where people live and grow and love, have a type of protection that faeries have a hard time breaking through. She might have been able to do the cobbler, as his house was also a business, but it is highly unlikely she killed that family." _Drip, drip._ "Of course, that means some other monster must have done it."

I should have picked a better word. As soon as I said it, Elsa's eyes tightened dangerously, and her voice became colder than a glacier's heart. "Then we will find them and bring justice," she said before standing up. I watched as she waved her hands and created an ice staircase, then used it to walk off the rock. However, the ice sculpture wasn't her usual smooth and flowing style; there were tiny spikes coating the handrails.

"Elsa," I said nervously, "What exactly do you mean by 'bring justice'?"

She spun on her heel, waving her hand again. A sculpture of a man with short hair and serious sideburns formed out of ice, and she stared at me as though daring to make her say more. I blinked a few times before speaking quietly. "No, Elsa. Absolutely not. You can't use magic to kill people."

"Oh?" she sneered, the angry expression twisted by additional tears. "Tell me, Harry - what do you know about that subject? Was your earlier lesson about monsters from experience?"

I reeled, as though she had slapped me physically instead of verbally. "Woah, that's totally unnecessary."

"No, I think it is necesssary. How can you just stand there? You saw that house, that… blood, and you haven't shed a single tear. What sort of sane person can do that?" Elsa turned, as though she couldn't bear to look at me anymore. I took a step forwards, and my nose was almost sheared off when she created an ice wall directly between us. It was fifteen feet on a side and nearly transparent, so I could see Elsa's fearful eyes on the other side. "No," she said. "I want to know why you aren't crying."

Hearing the question from her stung almost as much as her previous question. I opened my mouth, trying to talk but no sounds coming out. _Why aren't I crying? That was easily one of the more gruesome scenes I have seen recently. Though, it doesn't even match up to… _That's when it hit me. This was _normal_ to me. Sure, it was unpleasant, but I had continued on with the case as though nothing unusual had happened. _What sort of sane person can do that?_

I must have revealed something on my face, because Elsa spoke. "I guess I understand why my sister was so worried about you," she said carefully. "This really doesn't disturb you, does it?"

"I…" It was almost laughable, that I would be more stopped by the betrayed look on her face than the bodies in the room. "I mean, it does. But Elsa, you have to understand, over the past decade I've seen far worse things in my work. My tears won't bring those people back, but they might distract me from solving this case." I set my hand on the wall and murmured a word, and it shattered.

Elsa let out a surprised yelp when the wall disintegrated, and pulled back even further when I stepped over the debris. "I'm not some sort of monster," I said, noting the flash in her eyes at the word. "I've cried myself to sleep over the horrifying things I have seen. Several I have seen with the Sight, cursed to never forget." I paused to banish the _naagloshi_ from my mind. "Talk to me Elsa, this isn't the only thing on your mind."

I tried to give her a supportive smile, and in a blink she was burying her face in my chest and crying. "It's… it's everyt-t-thing," she bawled. "Those poor people, these killers, all of it." I patted her back while she soaked my shirt, trying to talk several times but being interrupted by sobs. I was reminded of a younger Harry Dresden, emotionally unbalanced after seeing the _naagloshi_ and seeking refuge in the house of several young werewolves.

After a seeming eternity, she pulled away. "Anna saw something, I think, when she Soulgazed you. She didn't exactly call you a monster, but that was her implication."

I nodded sadly. "I've done some unfortunate things in my life, mostly to save other people. In fact, that's the real reason I'm here, and why the cold doesn't bother me." _But that's not the reason blood doesn't bother you. Mab didn't have to deaden you to that, you did it yourself._ Most of my friends had been privy to my slow acclimation of blood and violence, and in fact many had acclimated in the same way. Elsa's reaction, seeing me in action without that context, was suddenly understandable.

Motioning back to the rock, I said, "We can't go back to town until we have both composed ourselves. Let me tell you about faeries."

* * *

><p>My head was still reeling while Harry told his story. The scene in the house was still as fresh in my mind as the taste of bile on my tongue, and I was trying desperately to forget what I had suggested when I made that statue of Hans. <em>Never again.<em> Part of me wanted to blame my earlier outburst about circles for emotionally unhinging me, but I knew that it wasn't close to the whole reason. _Those poor people..._

"So you started off as a private investigator, and now you're also a… knight?" Harry nodded in the affirmative. "A knight in a kingdom of fairies, divided by seasons. You work for Winter, as a mortal liaison." The capital had been evident in Harry's voice. He hesitated, then nodded again. "Essentially, yes. It's not exactly a dream job, given the unpleasant nature of the Unseelie, but I can't exactly quit."

It had been surprising learning that fairies were real. But according to Harry, I had met one, and she had been every bit as beautiful and cruel as he described. I only had vague memories from some folktales about how fairies couldn't lie, and I had never heard of the bit with the iron. I didn't need to hear tales about their glamour. The rest of it - manipulation, scheming, and bloodthirst - made them seem terrifying. "An hour ago, I would have said that you are nothing like them," I said quietly.

Harry blinked at that. "And now?" he replied in a defeated tone.

I felt my earlier, irrational rage building again. _It's not his fault, he's just a convenient target for your anger at the murders, _I reminded myself. "Harry, you walked into that room and barely seemed to notice the bodies. That sounds an awful lot like those Sidhe you were describing."

"You have to understand," he said in the same tone, aware of his own rationalizing. "I worked on a whole bunch of really bad cases before becoming the Winter Knight. I was already a hardened investigator before I started this job." He gave me a sad smile. "In fact, I think that's one of the reasons Mab picked me, which is scary in retrospect."

"You don't sound convinced." I looked at the man, much of his confident swagger erased.

"I'm not. I don't want to believe that I was already a heartless monster before Mab picked me up. I worked to help people, and it's not like I wanted the job, unlike some Winter Knights. I fled from Mab for years, avoiding her hooks and schemes." He abruptly stood, stretching his arms. "But, like it or not, I'm stuck in this job." He reached down to give me a hand. "I'm sorry if I came across as a psychotic freak. If it makes you feel any better, I would have acted the same if I wasn't the Winter Knight."

I took his hand, but it took me a moment to remember his earlier words. "Solve the case first, break down in tears later?"

Harry gave a mirthless chuckle. "Essentially, yes."

* * *

><p>We walked down my impromptu ice steps, and while doing so I tried my best to ignore the spikes on the railing. When we passed the statue, I motioned Harry to move back. "I can't just leave this here," I said. "Seems like a good time to practice that force magic." He nodded, stepping behind me. I drew on my power, on my anger that a family would be so mercilessly slaughtered, and concentrated intensely. <em>It's like the circle,<em> I thought, _a muscle you haven't -_

I was expecting a blast like a cannon, given the effect, but the wave of force shot out of my hand was silent until it reached the statue. My target shattered upon impact with an incredible _crack_, spraying the frozen beach with ice for several hundred feet. Harry whistled behind me. "Wow. I'd say you figured it out." I nodded, my attempt at a smile overridden by my residual anger.

Once back in town, we prepared quickly to depart. Harry spoke to the mayor and deputies while I visited the orphaned daughter, who was staying with her aunt and uncle. The promise of Crown support was met with less enthusiasm than my word that we would solve this case. I didn't know how to describe the house without being sick, so I simply told them to speak with the mayor.

Anna had indeed bought three boxes of pastries, and she and Kristoff were happily snacking on them when we approached the sled. She gave me a huge grin and a wave as we arrived, which I returned with a forceful hug and a quiet "Let's go home."


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

There were few constants in my sister's behavior. The first was that she was always finding new and exciting ways to get into trouble and buck trends. When Harry realized he had left his staff propped up on the wall while re-lacing his shoes, it was not a huge surprise when Anna nudged Kristoff to start the sled moving while he was inside the wall. Harry nevertheless chuckled when he caught up with us, less winded than I would have guessed after running several hundred feet.

The second, and perhaps most reliable constant was her love of chocolate. I had seen her attempt truly maddening feats to reach the smallest box of sweets, and rarely was she more elated than when she succeeded. Now, she was halfway through her fourth pastry when she turned around and initiated conversation with Harry, all earlier animosity forgotten.

"Sho, yough ughs furgh mrgh?" she asked around a mouth full of pastry, causing Harry and I to both glance up at her. I rolled my eyes and gave Anna a tired smile, prompting her to finish eating before asking again. "Harry, you use fire magic?"

"Yeah, why?" There was a clear note of suspicion in Harry's voice, as though he was expecting another outburst.

Anna didn't pick up on his tone, or ignored it. "I was just wondering how you are able to teach Elsa, your magic being so different and all." Her smile poorly concealed apprehension.

"The basics are all the same. Calling up energy, moving it around, understanding the effects, and so on are independent of which particular element you use." He thought for a moment. "Well, water magic is strange, but I'm pretty sure the similarities are there." Harry stuck out his hand, calling up a ball of wintery fury. "Besides, it's not like I don't have any ability in ice magic myself."

"Oh," Anna replied, attention briefly captivated by at the storm. "Elsa, can you use other magic?"

I thought back to the difficulty and relative underwhelming power of my attempt with force magic. "I think so, but I'm not really practiced at it."

Harry continued that thought. "It takes effort, especially if your abilities lie in a different direction."

Further thought was forestalled by Kristoff. "That's strange," he said suddenly, pulling on the reins. Far ahead was the dangerous cliff-side pass that I had accidentally snowed in, but as we approached it appeared that the snow had built up near the bottom as well. "Wasn't expecting so much snow."

"I think it was my fault," I said quietly.

Kristoff just shrugged. "It's not really an issue, we'll just take it a bit slower. It shouldn't delay us too much." Following his advice, he gave the reins a tug and Sven started up the hill. When we were about halfway up, I turned to ask Harry a question and was rudely interrupted by a massive explosion from the mountain side of the path.

* * *

><p>I barely had time to register the surprise on Elsa's face before the blast flipped the sled on its side, attempting to throw all of us over the edge. Years of surviving similar mishaps had sharpened my instincts, and almost automatically I latched onto the sled railing for some sort of support. Elsa, however, eluded my grasp, screaming discordantly with her sister as they both plunged off the cliff.<p>

The sled was a less than optimal choice of support, following the royal family for a short distance before being arrested by the reins. I slapped the bottom of the sled, hard, when it attempted to go over the edge. It dangled precariously on the edge, twisting and groaning on the rock.

Kristoff's voice boomed above me. "Pull, Sven!" I looked up, and the ice harvester had secured himself similarly to the sled. The reindeer gave a mighty lurch, pulling the sled and its two shaken occupants back onto solid ground.

The Winter Knight's mantle snapped from suspiciously dormant to rip-roaring active as soon as the explosion happened, and I jumped up from the sled as soon as we were stable. I gave Kristoff a hand up, and I noticed that he was almost as alert as I was. "What the hell was that?" he asked, more irritated than flustered.

In response, I walked over to the edge and looked down. Sure enough, there were two human-sized holes in a giant pile of snow. There were also many sets of footprints that led into the forest at the bottom. "Trap," I snarled. "We need to get down there, now."

Kristoff nodded. "Sven, you okay buddy?" The reindeer snorted, and Kristoff smiled. "Ok, meet us at the bottom." I watched in temporary amazement as the reindeer shook himself, then started back down the slope.

I almost wanted to ask what just happened, but Kristoff interrupted me. "Ready?" he asked, nodding towards the cliff.

_That is the fastest way down,_ I realized. "Let's hope the _Millenium Falcon_ is at the bottom," I muttered before nodding. Kristoff gave me a terrifying smile, then jumped. I walked to the edge and looked over. _But did it have to be so far?_

"There's ten feet of fresh powder," he called up.

Before I could think about what I was doing, I got a bit of running start and jumped. A single incongruous thought went through my head as I fell - _why is my staff in that tree? _- before I crashed into the snow below. The landing was far better than I expected, and Kristoff gave me a hand up. "Just like a pillow," he said with a tight smile.

Kristoff started immediately following the footsteps, giving me a nasty look when I said, "One second." A gust of air brought my staff out of tree and into my hand.

Unfortunately, the glare didn't cease when we started rushing along the makeshift path. "This is your fault," he said heatedly. "You and your antics put Anna in danger. If you hadn't shown up - "

"Not now," I retorted, matching his anger. His eyes widened, but I didn't stop. "No, Kristoff. Save them first, argue later." Some of the heat in his eyes retreated, and I realized he wasn't actually angry with me.

"Fine." He shook his head a bit, then looked down and pointed to the tracks. "Look, horseshoes. They must have been waiting just out of sight at the bottom of the cliff."

I didn't bother to agree, opting instead to run instead of jog. Kristoff matched me effortlessly. "Kristoff, I'll be honest. I'm not really sure what we'll find when we catch them. Do you know how to fight?" I spoke under my breath, not sure how quickly we were gaining on our pursuit.

The big man didn't respond immediately, though an intense pain came to rest in his eyes. "For Anna? Yes," he replied quietly. He cracked his knuckles, and for the first time I really registered how enormous he was. His hands could easily cover a dinner plate, and all of his bulk was hard muscle. In all of my previous interactions, he had moved so carefully that it disguised his size.

_Uh oh, this could get ugly._ "Ok, well, if there's more faeries like Jenalind, I can take care of them. But I wasn't kidding about being nonlethal with mortals, unless there are lives directly in danger. I have to be careful even incapacitating them."

Kristoff eyed me strangely for a moment. "Sure, but what's a faerie?"

"For right now? They look like people, but are super beautiful and super strong."

He nodded. "Easy enough." _Oh, if it were only that simple._

The path continued roughly parallel to the cliff face, but abruptly the tracks took a sharp right and headed towards the rock wall. The forest was too dense to see much, so I motioned Kristoff to sweep wide around the path. We walked another hundred feet before diving into the forest.

Several times, Kristoff put his hand on my shoulder to stop me before I stepped into a hole or through a branch. "Don't get out much," he muttered under his breath.

"So sue me, I live in a big city." The iceman gave me a confused look. "Oh, first build a needlessly complicated legal system, then use it to take money from me. Nevermind."

A horse whinnied, causing both of us to freeze. We had made our way to the cliff face, and were stalking along towards the tracks, but a large outcropping of rock obstructed further view. Kristoff crept silently up to the edge, motioning me to stay silent and stand still. I rolled my eyes, but obliged.

After a brief look, he whipped back around. "Cave," he whispered. "Can't really see inside, but there are some guards out front."

I nodded, creeping up to the edge for my own look. Sticking my head around, I saw that there was indeed the mouth of a cave being guarded by two men with crossbows and shortswords. The horses were tied to a nearby tree, next to a huge pile of snow that had been freshly excavated. There were voices coming from inside the cave, so I retreated my head and Listened.

"... before she wakes up. Is this really necessary?" The speaker had a gravelly voice, full of contempt. "The mistress thinks this operation is too dangerous as it is. We don't need to…"

"I need to!" The second voice was smoother, more refined. "She humiliated me, insulted me, and left me to rot in prison. I will have my way with her before you slice her throat. Or have you forgotten who is paying for this whole escapade? Just keep her tied down and..."

My eyes snapped back into focus. "Kristoff, we need to get in there now. Someone your girlfriend humiliated is about to, um, force himself on her."

The earlier fire in Kristoff's eyes became an inferno, and before I could restrain him he bolted around the outcropping. I tried to follow on his heels, but could only watch as the ice harvester's burning anger propelled him at full speed towards the nearest guard. The guard raised his crossbow in defense, crying the alarm, and fired nearly point-blank at Kristoff's chest.

The bolt, however, failed to connect when its target pulled into a tight roll. It sailed harmlessly over Kristoff's back, impaling the ground instead. The guard stared in amazement for nearly a third of a second before Kristoff pounced, and I watched in horror as the formerly calm and quiet ice man gripped the the guard's head with two hands, savagely wrenching it around and snapping his neck.

Shaking off his surprise, the second guard raised his crossbow and fired towards his fallen comrade. Kristoff, however, had not released the fresh corpse, and instead pulled it around to shield himself from the bolt. The projectile struck the dead guard instead, lodging sideways through the ribs. The remaining guard fished a second bolt from his quiver, but Kristoff drew the shortsword from his impromptu shield and impaled the guard before he could fire.

I could only stare in awe for a moment before a high-pitched wordless screech sounded in the cave. There was a snap, followed by a dull thud and a cry of intense pain. "Why weren't her legs tied down?" came the smooth voice, now filled with rage. When I looked, I was able to get a good view of the inside of the cave that my previous vantage had lacked.

Elsa was tied to a stone post in the back, apparently unconscious and sagging against her bonds. Anna had been tied to a large stone table, and was now struggling with a man in a white coat who stood over her. There were several lamps on the ground, but the cave was otherwise empty except for the dozen or so angry, burly men armed with crossbows.

Anna's scream dispelled the shock from watching Kristoff dispatch the first two guards, and Kristoff only barely evaded the hail of crossbow bolts that spewed from the cave. He let out an anguished grunt, and I saw that he had not dodged perfectly - there were a pair of long cuts along his upper arm.

_I hope it takes them a bit longer to reload, because this idea is insane._ I gripped my staff and stepped out in front of the cave. The men looked up from reloading and unsheathing, confusion once again giving a momentary respite. Praying that the snow behind me was soft enough, I raised my staff and belted "_Ventas servitas!_"_, _then jumped back behind my outcropping.

Even as I retreated, the sudden force of the wind I created made my duster whip around. The gusts howled in along the ceiling of the cave, then crashed down the back with the force of a hurricane and swept out towards the mouth. The captors let out a series of astonished cries, including one distinctly gravelly voice exclaiming, "It's the wizard!" As I watched, a stream of men and lanterns flew out of the cave and into the snow bank immediately outside.

"Kristoff, go go go!" I yelled, using the sudden confusion to dart around the rocks.. The ice man lept to his feet, rushing into the cave. "Caves can be such a drafty place in the winter," I commented as I avoided stepping on the white-coated man, now stuck headfirst into the snowbank. As soon as we were both safely inside, I turned and muttered "_Glacivallare,_" raising a two-foot thick wall of ice at the mouth of the cave.

"Kristoff… Harry? What the hell just happened!? What was all that wind? Why is it dark?" Anna's voice was thick with confusion and terror. Kristoff rushed over to her, and I summoned an orb of light to illuminate the inside. In short order, Anna was sitting up, free of her blindfold, gag, and ropes, and she sitting up and blinking. "Was that… Hans? I think he tried… he wanted to…"

Kristoff cut her off. "Yeah, it was him. I guess he's out of prison. Don't worry, we'll make him pay." I almost winced at the intensity in his voice, thinking back to the guards.

Anna's eyes tightened briefly, and she gave a half-smile. "He already did, a little. I kicked him pretty hard in the, uh, sensitive region."

I blinked at that. "Good aim, but how did you get your legs free?"

Anna didn't answer that, eyes dodging around the cave. When they came to rest on Elsa, she staggered up from the table and lurched over to her sister. She cupped Elsa's face in her hands, murmuring softly to her and crying softly. The queen was still unconscious, and for a moment I was confused how the wind didn't wake her. I had tried to shape the squall to avoid the captives as much as possible, but some leakage was expected.

Looking down at my feet, I saw why. Elsa had been imprisoned in several layers of circles, the remains of which were still somewhat legible. The debris kicked up by the wind had broken the circles, and much of the chalk had blown away, but I could see that even awake Elsa would have found it impossible to save her sister with magic.

A sharp intake of breath drew all of our attention. Elsa's eyelids wiggled and then opened, and she blinked several times before moving her head. "Ow, what? What's going on? Where are we? Why am I tied up?" Anna barely extended her hand when ice and frost formed all along the ropes. With a grunt, Elsa stepped forwards and shattered her bonds, then promptly swayed and fell into her sister's arms.

"I've got you, Elsa," Anna said, guiding her to sit on the ground. "We were captured, I think, after the sled flipped. Hans is here, somehow, but Kristoff and Harry… wait, how did you get rid of everyone?"

Kristoff snorted. "Harry called up a huge gust of wind and blew them all out of the cave."

The royal sisters looked at me with matching astonishment, which I returned with a sly smile. "What, did you think magic was all parlor tricks? You can do practical things too, like clean caves of debris and garbage."

Elsa let out a wheezing laugh that was cut short by voices outside. "Get this wall down!" called the gravelly voice, and Hans replied with "Didn't she give you the thing?" A short argument about where the "thing" had fallen in the snow commenced, and I looked back to our party.

"Ok gang, we can't stay here all day. They'll break that wall eventually, and we need to have some plan. There's maybe fifteen of them with crossbows, which shouldn't be too hard to handle presuming we don't let them shoot us." I glanced at the wall, thinking. "We need to be ready to move in a few minutes."

Kristoff snorted. "A few minutes? I could have that wall down in -" he started, but was interrupted by a sharp hiss of pain, and he clutched the cuts on his arm. Anna cried out, moving his hand and inspecting the wound. As she reached down and ripped a piece of her dress for a temporary bandage, he continued. "What do we do? Can't you just blast us a path out?"

I looked down at Elsa, and she met my eyes. _Look what they did to you. These men would have just stood there and let Hans have his way with your sister_. Cursing my chauvinism for even making me hesitate, I quietly replied, "No, you can't kill people with magic."

Elsa held my gaze for a moment before turning her attention to her younger sister. When she did so, her face took on a dangerous cast but her voice was suspiciously calm. "Of course. But we can freeze their weapons, right? Or their armor, immobilize them."

"Sure," I began, but the angry muttering outside had turned into excited muttering. I could see a vague outline of a man raise his arm to the wall, and I can only credit instinct for forcing everyone down to the ground. Kristoff and Elsa let out grunts of pain, but when the wall exploded inwards, the fireball that accompanied the blast flew over our heads.

To my surprise, I wasn't the first person to stand up. Elsa was striding to the ruined ice wall before the icy chunks had come to rest, and my objections died in my mouth when I saw what she had done.

The queen had clad herself in an entire suit of icy armor, a cross between full plate and a dress and constructed out of deep blue ice. It appeared to be fully reticulated and free-moving as her steps were not at all inhibited. The ice plates made a sharp _whisk-whisk_ sound as she walked towards the wall.

Upon reaching the remains of our fortification, she didn't even stop before raising her hands and letting out a wordless scream. The wall exploded outwards in a spray of ice, throwing first size chunks at high speed out into the forest. "That's our cue," I said to Anna and Kristoff before vaulting myself up and dashing outside.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the light, which almost earned me a crossbow bolt in the chest. Elsa was under siege right outside the entrance, her armor a pincushion of bolts while she tried to fire precise beams of ice at her attackers. As I watched, one of beams struck a crossbow, coating it with ice and freezing it to its wielder's hand. He screamed, trying to drop the weapon and failing.

While her back was turned, a pair of men with swords raised burst out of a nearby bush and rushed to our position. I started to draw in power to trip them with air, but Elsa was faster. She turned her head and stuck out her arm, power flying from her fingertips. The ground underneath the men froze solid in an instant, and they both slipped and fell with cracks that were almost certainly broken bones.

She turned to deal with another crossbowman, using her vambrace as a shield to block his crossbow fire. A click from behind us spoiled a surprise when I turned and raised my own shield to deflect a flurry of bolts from four attackers hiding behind a tree. The bolts ricocheted away, but before they could reload I yelled "_Forzare!"_, sharpening my spell and aiming at the base of the tree. The trunk snapped with a deafening crack, and the rest of the tree fell down between us and the men with a mighty crash that caused Elsa's head to whip around.

Anna and Kristoff took that moment to rush over to us, and there was a crystallized moment of silence. Elsa's eyes were wild, darting over her sister and then back to the battle around us. "I think I got all of the crossbowmen," she said through heavy breathing, "but there's still a few men I haven't seen."

"Where's the guy with the wand? He was standing right in front of -" My own question was answered when a wave of force shot out of a nearby tree, picking up the four of us and throwing us twenty feet. We landed in a heap, Elsa's heavy ice armor earning the rest of us several bruises. Anna landed particularly badly, her eyes unfocusing and rolling back into her head.

I scrambled back up, dashing towards the origin of the spell. This time I was prepared, and I deflected the second wave of force with a well-timed shield, so it did little more than make me stagger. "Is that all you got?" I called. "I'm not really impressed, I figured your mistress could do a bit more. Or did you forget which end of the wand makes fire?"

"Use it now, you fool!" yelled Hans from behind the tree. A gravelly grunt replied, and instead of a fireball, a large, dark purple object was thrown out from behind the tree. It landed several yards in front of me and shattered on impact, and I realized it was a bottle filled with dark smoke. The smoke was now seeping into the snow around the impact point, and I dashed back towards the others before it could reach me.

"Get up!" I yelled, but it was too late. A purple tendril ran through the snow underneath me, and then suddenly the snow yanked out from under my feet like a rug. I nearly faceplanted into the now bare ground beneath me, catching myself at the last moment. _What the hell?_ I looked over my shoulder to see what had happened to the snow and found myself staring at a snow demon.

"Kill the wizard!" screamed Hans.

I had seen elemental monsters before, made of snow or plants or similar. I had also seen demons, going so far as to even summon relatively harmless ones myself. But the monster that stood in front of me was the first time I could use the term "snow demon." It looked vaguely humanoid, fifteen feet tall with thick, stumpy legs and four long arms. The most unpleasant part was not the multitude of sharp ice spines covering its body, nor the malicious red light in its eyes. What worried me the most was the color - it was a shifting combination of black and purple and producing a cloud of similar-colored smoke.

Elsa's voice came from behind me. "Kristoff, get my sister to safety! We'll deal with this!"

The words had hardly left her mouth before a fireball exploded from my hand as I yelled "_Fuego!"_, but Elsa's confidence was proven misplaced when the projectile hit the monster. My fireball should have amputated one of the left arms, but instead just left a glancing trough of melted snow.

I barely had time to think _why did it have to be mordite_ before the monster retaliated, ripping off one of the longer spines on its back and hurling it at me. I threw myself out of the way and the icicle impaled itself into the bare earth almost exactly where I had been standing. While I was stabilizing myself and trying not to think how much force it would take to sink an icicle into the ground that far, Elsa went on the offensive.

She raised her hands, armor still peppered with crossbow bolts, and unleashed a flurry of icicles towards the demon. "No!" I cried, "Don't give it ammo!" My words were too late, however, and while Elsa's magic managed to impale the demon in many places, I had guessed right. The demon gave what I could only imagine was an unholy chuckle before taking a deep breath.

The icicles shot from the monster like a porcupine, and I had my shield up only an instant before Elsa raised hers. Frozen fury exploded onto my shield, the explosion of force throwing me onto my back. Elsa fared somewhat better, having simply raised an ice wall from the ground. She turned and gave me a wild grin, and I tried to give her a thumbs up.

I spared a glance for Kristoff and Anna, letting out a sigh when I saw that they had been protected by Elsa's ice wall. Kristoff was crouching over Anna, his back to the demon. I caught his eye, trying to motion him to run, but was distracted by a deep grunt. Whipping my head back around, I barely had time to see that the snow demon had leapt into the sky.

The demon crashed down next to me, scooping me up with one spiny arm into the air. My arms were free, but the monster had a secure grip on my torso. Just as it began to squeeze, however, I felt an icy coldness wash over my body. Looking down, I saw that my upper body and legs were encrusted in an ice block that had interrupted the demon's death grip.

"I don't know how long I can hold this," Elsa yelled from beneath me. "It's grip is so strong!"

Elsa's trick didn't distract the demon for long. It raised another purple-and-black arm, but I didn't give it the chance to pull off my head. "_FORZARE!" _I screamed, backing the spell with as much force as I could muster. The wave impacted the arm just as the long finger touched the top of my head, throwing the arm backwards and showering the ground with shards of black ice.

I struggled with the hand gripping my torso as Elsa pelted the monster with spells. I tried several more fireballs, but the best I could do was to knock a finger off of one of the other hands when it tried to grab my arm. Elsa let out a cry when the monster threw another icicle at her, cutting of her stream of magic when she ducked behind another ice wall.

_Well, magic seems worthless here_ I thought desperately. I tried to remember anything I knew about fighting mordite-infused constructs. They were generally immune or otherwise very difficult to influence with magic.

Another arm started pulling on my legs, but Elsa let out a grunt of effort and a blast of icy power. There was a moment of contention, the monster struggling against a force I couldn't see and whipping me around in the process. A moment later, a force blast of immense power plowed into the demon, and when it staggered backwards there was a screech like a glacier cleaving.

The monster still held me in its grip, but I could see what Elsa had done. Several feet in front of us was the arm that had been attacking my feet, frozen into a block of ice a few feet on a side. The broken limb was leaking more of the black smoke, and based on the angry cry from the demon, it was not pleased.

"Harry, go for the joints!" she yelled, but her magic and warning drew the monster's attention.

Leaping again, the demon bounded forwards and landed on the other side of Elsa. It made to reach for her, but a gravelly voice came from the edge of the clearing. "No! Do _not_ harm the queen!" I tried to follow the voice, noting that it was no longer behind the original tree.

The demon mimicked me, looking off to where the voice had originated. It then let out another bellow before redoubling its efforts to crush me. While doing so, it brought me around to the its face, holding me in front of its vicious red stare. Elsa's protection started to crack, prompting a cry from her and flailing from me. A halting rumble started within the demon, and I realized it was laughing.

My magic was almost worthless, a situation that I was not used to finding myself in often. However, I still had the one thing that had made me almost as famous as my wizardry - my unwillingness to back down. I may be getting squeezed to death by an ice monster, but I would be _damned_ if I would let it laugh at me while doing so.

"Hey, ugly," I yelled at the monster. It turned to focus on my face, the terrible red magic in its eyes seeming to focus on me. I muttered under my breath, coalescing a three foot long icicle in my hand. I smiled up at the demon, and I thought I could see a miniscule tightening around the red eyes. Before it could make any response, I brought my icicle around with all of my remaining speed to thrust into the demon's eye.

As soon as the icicle connected, the demon let out an anguished roar, throwing me to the ground and clutching at its face. Elsa's magic vanished when I left the creature's grasp, and it took my sore body a moment to catch up. The monster staggered around, and when its back was turned towards me I yelled "_Fuego!" _and "_Forzare!"_ in quick succession, calling up a fiery wave of force that I aimed squarely at the creature's neck.

This spell did accomplished what my others could not - it cleaved the monster's head from its body in an explosion of dark smoke and purple ice. The body flailed around for a few seconds before falling to the ground. Quiet settled on the clearing, and with a start I realized that all of our assailants had fled. _I guess the snow demon was their plan B._

Elsa walked over to me, dissolving her armor and causing the crossbow bolts embedded in it to clatter to the ground. "What the hell?" she asked tiredly. "It just shrugged off our attacks - "

A crack drew both of our attentions. Anna and Kristoff had been trying to take cover against a tree, but now Kristoff was unconscious and his attacker was standing over Anna with a knife. _This whole thing was a setup_, I thought dimly. As the knife plunged down towards her neck, I tried to form a spell knowing that it wouldn't be fast enough to save her life.

However, Elsa was faster. She thrust out her hand and a blast of icy magic shot out towards the man with the knife. hitting him squarely in the back. In an instant, he was turned to ice, the knife stopping half an inch from Anna's throat before becoming crystalline.

Elsa turned to me, eyes wide with fear. Her face held only one question - _What have I done?_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

_Bump._

I hardly noticed when the sled collided with an obscured rock, causing Kristoff and Harry to both curse in frustration. I only had a mind for Anna, unconscious head resting in my lap. This wasn't the first bump on our swift journey home, and I suspected it wouldn't be the last. Nevertheless, I tried to shift to make Anna more comfortable, though she was already resting on the blanket, Harry's duster, and Kristoff's outer jacket. I didn't want to admit she likely wasn't conscious enough to appreciate our efforts.

_At least she's alive._ I was trying desperately not to think about why.

I failed, just as I had failed the previous half-dozen times since our frenzied flight from the cave. Everything happened in slow motion, though I knew that it couldn't have been that way or I could have done something else. _Anna, unconscious and slumped on the ground._ No. Please, no. _The knife, slowly plunging to her neck._ Why not stop the knife? _I raise my hand without even thinking. _Why am I never thinking? _Power streaks from my hands._ Cursed power, why -

The sled ground to a halt, shaking me from my reverie. Opening my eyes, I saw that I had been crying tiny ice droplets onto Anna's forehead. Suddenly, Anna was being lifted from my lap, and I reflexively tried to grab her back. Kristoff gently deflected my hands, picking up my sister and carrying her towards the castle.

_Castle?_ I thought dimly, brain still preoccupied. A moment later hands came for me, but instead of lifting they offered support. I took Harry's hand, and in doing so I looked up into his face. His face was battered and his hair wild, but there was unmistakable empathy in his eyes. With his help I was able to stand, leaning on him for support.

I glanced around, still surprised that we were at the front doors to the castle. There was a thin coating of ice that stretched down the causeway with two long grooves cut into the edges. Various guards and staff were milling about, fear and concern the most prominent emotions.

"The princess will be fine, she just has a concussion," Harry said with an exasperated sigh. "She hit her head. Just make sure someone is watching her nonstop for the next few hours. Get her painkillers if possible."

Kristoff nodded and started to carry her towards the castle. Several questioning looks were turned in my direction, but I simply nodded and waved everyone away. _At least she's alive._ As The staff walked with Kristoff and Anna, I could vaguely hear him answer questions. "... ambushed, they were taken captive. We tracked them down… snow monster…"

Harry turned to grab his staff and duster from the sled, hesitating a bit while the other party walked away. His expression held more worry for my sister than I expected, and when the courtyard doors closed he offered his arm. I took it to steady myself, as my body was surprisingly sore and aching. The pain distracted me momentarily.

"Your armor was fairly heavy," Harry murmured as we walked, noticing my limping stride. "Your muscles are still recoiling."

I grunted in what I hoped was agreement, still not sure that if I opened my mouth anything but sobs would come out. Harry seemed to understand, and we walked in silence to my rooms. I waved away the concerns of several castle staff as we traversed the halls, so we were alone when we came to stand outside my room. _Hopefully everyone is attending to Anna._

"Elsa, do you want to talk?" Harry began, but something about the way that he said it brought a tear to my eye. I didn't say anything, instead reaching for the door handle. "Ok," he said. "You'll be fine, Elsa. Don't worry."

_You'll be fine._ My father's voice rebounded from the past, and suddenly it was all too much. I managed to dart into my room and slam the door before I broke down.

* * *

><p>I stood for a moment outside of Elsa's room, conflicted. We didn't have time to sit around and mope when there was clearly very dangerous magic being thrown about - literally. That snow monster had been far too impervious to my spells, and that meant trouble. Demons had some natural resistance, but even they didn't simply shrug off force like that monster. The conclusion I had drawn on our frenzied ride home was far more terrifying - Outsiders.<p>

However, by my reckoning, Elsa just killed her first human in cold blood. She was probably going to be a wreck for at least a little while, so I could go check on Anna in the meantime. I had to walk surprisingly far before I found a member of the castle staff. The first harried-looking servant I encountered stared wide-eyed at me for a moment, and I had to repeat myself twice before I was led to Anna's temporary room on the ground floor.

The princess was being tended to in a small, cozy room with a roaring fireplace off the main hall. Anna herself was propped up on a couch, bandages on her head and arms. Kristoff was hovering protectively nearby, and both were engaged in conversation with a portly green-clad official and a snow-covered man in white and gold.

"We are investigating," the snow-covered man said tiredly. I tilted my head - he was speaking Norwegian, but with a distinct accent from the Arendellians. "Though it is likely he had help, His Majesty sends his personal assurance that he knows of no organized effort to bring harm to you or your sister."

Kristoff snorted. "That's a load of reindeer shit," he began angrily before being cut off by the official.

"That is enough, Mr. Bjorgman," he said in a no-nonsense voice, giving the iceman a stern look. He then turned to the foreigner, but his face was no softer. "Despite the outlandish nature of our claims, the throne stands behind them in full. Your fugitive prince was involved in a plot to assassinate members of the Arendelle royal family, and we acknowledge your attempt to warn us that he escaped. Tell your king that we appreciate his efforts in uncovering details of this plot."

The messenger nodded. "I will return to him as quickly as I am able. The cold, of course, makes it difficult to travel."

"Kai," Anna said quietly. "Why don't you at least give him a room to rest tonight?"

The portly man bowed. "Of course, your majesty. Follow me," he said, leading the messenger away and leaving the three of us alone.

"Let me see your eyes," I said, moving over next to Anna. I peered into her green-blue irises, but there was no hint of cloudiness. For a moment, I was struck by her resemblance to her older sister. _They could almost be twins,_ I thought. Standing up, I went over to a nearby chair and flopped into it heavily. "No concussion, which is good. You hit the ground pretty hard, and then Elsa landed on top of us in her armor. Any broken bones, particularly ribs?"

Anna shook her head, though Kristoff replied. "The doctor said it's bruising at worst, and told her to just relax and avoid any activity." He gave Anna a mock stern glare, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Kristoff chuckled and rubbed her head, and she only barely winced.

"What happened afterwards?" Anna asked, her voice strained slightly. "Kristoff didn't know all of the details."

I ran my hand through my hair before answering. "There was a snow demon, it was somehow resistant to magic. Your sister and I killed it. Most of the attackers had fled by that point, including this Hans fellow, but one managed to knock out Kristoff. And, um..." I looked up, and both Anna and Kristoff were peering at me intently. Kristoff gave an infinitesimal shake of his head. "Um, yeah. Then your reindeer showed up, I managed to wake Kristoff up, we loaded you into the sled and ran back here."

Anna's eyes didn't leave me for a moment after my story. _She's not stupid,_ I reminded myself. However, she didn't call me out on my evasion. "How did they use magic?" she asked.

"Well, for the fireballs and force waves, it's pretty simple. With some effort, you can enchant an object to reproduce very limited magical spells." I leaned back, savoring the comfort of a padded chair for a second. "The snow demon, on the other hand… I'm not really sure."

"This isn't a coincidence, right?" Kristoff asked. "I know that messenger just said there isn't a conspiracy, but the timing is too good. We never would have been traveling along that cliff except to visit the town." He furrowed his eyebrows in thought, barely noticing when Anna stood up and carefully walked to a corner table and poured herself a cup of tea. "Do you think that's the reason for those murders?"

"I don't know," I replied, but was cut off when Kristoff suddenly realized Anna was up and moving about.

"Anna, what are you doing?" he exclaimed, immediately rushing to provide her support. I almost stood up, but Kristoff had the situation under control and the chair was particularly comfortable. Nevertheless, I watched carefully. _She must have not be hit as hard as I thought, to be moving without limping._

She gave him a confused glance. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making tea. Want some?"

Kristoff sputtered. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"Sure," she replied, then took a sip of tea. "But I feel better already, and this is hardly exerting myself."

"Head injuries are no joke," I said seriously, standing up from my chair. "But you appear to be doing alright, so I'm going to check up on your sister. Try to just stay calm." Kristoff started nodding enthusiastically, prompting a huff from Anna. _She'll be fine._

As I turned to leave the room, Anna's voice stopped me. "Harry, thank you for rescuing us."

I looked back around and gave the pair a grim smile. "Don't thank me just yet," I said before leaving.

I was able to find my way back to Elsa's room without much difficulty. It seemed to me that there were not enough staff to maintain the operations of a castle this big, though those I passed were going about their jobs with practiced efficiency. They gave me strange looks as I walked past, a mixture of appreciation and confusion. Several cast wide eyes over my clothing. _Great Scott, if only I had prepared an appropriate wardrobe._

As I rounded the last corner, I almost collided with the portly man from earlier. "Excuse me," he said.

"No problem," I replied, but as I went to pass him he held up a hand.

"Wait," he said. "Do you want to speak with the queen? If so, I am afraid she isn't seeing anyone right now."

I pushed his hand away. "Too bad."

The man spluttered as I walked past. By time he could form a coherent response, my hand was already on the doorknob. "No, wait, you can't do that. Besides, she locked the door!"

I gave the man my widest smile and brought the head of my staff down on the doorknob. It wasn't necessary to work the simple spell, but the man's jaw almost hit the floor when the lock responded with a click. I didn't wait for his objection before stepping through the door.

_Uh oh._

Elsa's room was considerably colder than the rest of the castle, and at first, appeared empty. It took me a moment to spot a few stray strands of her platinum hair peeking up from one of the pair of chairs in front of the extinguished fireplace. I stepped slowly around the other chair, though I couldn't entirely suppress a sigh when I sat down on the plush cushion.

Elsa was a wreck. She was still clad in her torn, dirty dress from earlier, and her face was red and puffy from crying. She was sitting with her knees to her chest, silently staring at the logs in the fireplace. When I sat down, she eyed me for a moment before turning her gaze back. I matched her gaze, and as we considered the hearth the only sound was the whispers of drafts.

I spoke first. "Your sister is doing fine. Surprisingly well, actually, all things considered."

"I know," she whispered. "Kai told me. I didn't even answer him."

Cold may not have bothered Elsa, but even with the Winter Knight's mantle I was a bit chilly sitting near her. I muttered a word, causing the fireplace to roar to life. Elsa didn't even flinch, though her eyes did tighten for a second. The oppressive cold started to retreat faster than the fire could account for, though it didn't totally disperse.

"Anna," she said after a moment. "She likes to come by and spend time together at night, but it can get too... too cold..." Her voice broke, and was consumed by sobs. I sat awkwardly, a bit unsure what to say or do. I offered her my hand, which she grasped with frozen fingers and squeezed.

We sat like that for some time, Elsa crying and me unable to comfort her usefully. I cursed inwardly that I didn't have Michael with me, or Murphy, to help provide some of their endless emotional support that I so often relied upon. But, even if I could find and convince them to come across, Elsa and her kingdom didn't have that kind of time.

Instead, it was just me. Hoping that I wasn't making a horrible mistake, I started talking. "I killed my first teacher and adoptive father," I said, trying to keep my voice level. Elsa's head came up sharply, eyes wide, but she didn't release my hand. "Justin took me in after my father died, along with a girl named Elaine. He was a wizard, and taught us about magic."

"Justin was, without a doubt, one of the most evil wizards I have ever met. I came home one day to find that he had broken into Elaine's mind and wanted to ensnare me as well. I refused and ran. He sent a monster after me, which I thought I killed." _If only._ "When I returned to the house, we dueled. I won, and burned him to death along with our house."

I stared at the fire, though out of the corner of my eye I saw Elsa's shocked face. "I broke the First Law - do not kill with magic - in defense of my own life. I was nearly executed for it."

"What about your… soul, or however you phrased it?" Elsa asked quietly. There were still tears in her eyes.

"What about it? If I had not killed Justin, he would have killed me unquestioningly. Elaine would have been his slave for the rest of her life." I closed my eyes. "Yeah, I killed Justin with magic. Extended my will, my very essence, and burned him to a crisp. Blackened my soul too, a bit. What was I supposed to do?"

Elsa didn't respond for a long moment. "Couldn't you have done anything else?"

"Honestly? I don't know. It's all a blur. Bursting back into the house, the yelling… Maybe I could have subdued him somehow, but it was too quick and I was too good with fire. You don't really get the opportunity to think in combat, at least not until you've done far too much of it."

"That doesn't make it acceptable," Elsa said, a flicker of anger rising in her voice. She pulled her hand out of mine, using it to wipe her ice-blue eyes. The hard stare she directed at me was somewhat more ominous due to the firelight reflecting in her eyes and making them glow a not-quite sinister blue.

"Well of course not," I replied, some of my own anger creeping into my voice. It was painful enough to discuss this stuff, nevermind be judged for it. "But I was certainly not going to let him hunt me down and kill me."

"You're rationalizing," she said in a hard tone. "Didn't you just tell me that you have to _choose_ to be a monster?"

She wasn't mad at me, but that was pushing it a bit far. "Just like you _chose_ to save your sister's life?" I said bitingly. "Would you rather have let her die than deal with some unpleasant consequences? Guess what, Elsa - sometimes there are no right answers. Sometimes you have to do some pretty unpleasant things to save the ones you love."

Elsa actually reeled a bit from that accusation. "I think I know that well enough, thank you very much."

"Do you?" I asked harshly. "Because right now, you're sitting around moping about how you killed someone to save Anna's life while an insane Faerie is running around your kingdom murdering your citizens."

"Well excuse me for not being a cold-hearted killer," she spat. "I don't have your experience as a murderous monster."

_That's it._ "Oh? At least I've never intentionally attacked my own family and frozen an entire kingdom out of sheer incompetence!"

Elsa jumped out her chair, and I followed her motion. We locked gazes, her eyes filled with anger and fear and pain. Neither person moved for what seemed like an eternity, though we were both breathing quickly enough to suggest that a fight was iminent. _Shit, she probably will just attack directly with magic_. It seemed almost absurd that Elsa would attack me, but when I looked into her eyes I was unsure, and that scared me.

I had survived all of my adventures up until this point by being careful, and right now those instincts reminded me that Elsa was dangerous and volatile. I started to plan contingencies, but as I was trying to figure out the easiest way to get back to the door a crackling sound from the floor caused us both to look down in surprise.

Frost was seeping out from underneath Elsa's bare foot, making icy fractals on the stone in front of the fireplace. Even as I watched, a thin white tendril snaked towards the chair leg and started climbing like ivy. My eyes widened when spiny protrusions started to grow upwards from the patches that were already covered. _Forget attacking, she's unstable enough to turn me into a popsicle by looking at me wrong._

I raised my eyes back to the queen and abandoned my plans for flight. Elsa's head was down, but her eyes her closed and her breathing was slowing. There was a small _ping_ as a tear left her eye and shattered on the ground. She stuck a hand backwards, feeling for her chair before sitting down into it heavily. Her touch left an icy handprint on the armrest.

I let out a breath, muscles uncoiling like springs. _Crisis averted. _The tension was gone, but adrenaline was still pumping in my ears. I didn't mirror her, choosing instead to remain standing while she stared into the fire. After a minute of pointedly ignoring me, she spoke quietly. "My apologies, Harry. That was unnecessary and rude."

When I didn't answer immediately, she turned her head up and gave me an imploring glance. I almost wanted to tell her exactly how rude it had been, but for some reason I couldn't summon up the required indignance. "Sorry. I spoke rudely as well."

Both of our gazes returned to the fireplace, and I took a deep breath to calm my rushing pulse. My magical senses tingled, and I looked down to see the frost and spines on the floor melting and evaporating. Elsa, however, kept her eyes fixated on the fireplace. I didn't want to push the issue, and so the silence stretched while we both searched for something to say.

"It wasn't just Justin, was it, Harry?" Elsa asked, voice still quiet.

"No," I replied, heart rate back to normal. "Not even close. But he's the only one I actually used magic."

She thought about that, eyes unfocusing for a second. "Psychotic freak, hardened investigator. The Winter Knight isn't just a liaison," she said slowly.

I sighed, then sat back down in my chair. "No. Faeries can't interfere with mortal affairs."

Elsa finished my thought. "So they need someone to do their dirty work."

"Yes. The title of Winter Knight is usually held by a sociopathic monster, more than eager to kill with their newfound power." I thought for a moment about Lloyd Slate and the horrifying punishment Mab had inflicted upon him.

"And you really can't quit?" she asked.

"Nope. The only way out is death, usually. I tried that too, but Mab saved me and pressed me back into service." That was a story that would have to wait. "So yeah, I know what it's like to be called a monster."

Elsa blinked at that, eyes tightening and lips compressing slightly. _Huh, she really doesn't like that word. _I thought back to her little snowstorm on the hill and our conversation on the rock outside of the town. _Monster, monster._ A frozen country. Hiding in a circle. I remembered my Soulgaze with Anna, where the princess tried to get Elsa out of her room.

_Why hide in her room? _Elsa didn't have anyone to teach her magic, and with her level power even minor slipups must have been fairly serious. "So Elsa, let me guess. As a kid, you tried to hide your powers, right?"

"Yes," she whispered in reply.

Suddenly, the pieces started to come into place. There was a big hole in the center of the puzzle, but I felt that I was at least putting the edges together. "But something happened, you lost control?"

Now it was Elsa's turn to look haunted. "Night of my coronation. I hadn't really spoken to Anna in nearly thirteen years, and we got into a shouting match. I lost my glove, sprayed a bunch of ice on the ground, and ran. I froze the fjord when I ran over it to escape Anna."

"Wait, thirteen years without talking to your sister?" I asked incredulously.

"My parents thought it necessary to keep us apart. When we were young, I would make winter wonderlands in the great hall and we would play. One time, I hit her in the head with magic by accident and nearly killed her." Elsa's eyes grew distant. "Anna tried so hard to get me to leave my room to play with her."

"That seems a bit over the top," I said, but Elsa shook her head.

"I love Anna more than anything. I didn't want to hurt her," she explained. "It was a small price to pay."

It wasn't hard for me to imagine sacrificing everything for someone I loved. It also wasn't hard to imagine the mental consequences. _Ah damn, Maggie._ I took a second to remind myself that she was at home, safe, with Michael and Mouse before turning back to the issue at hand. "Did they call you a monster after you froze your sister?"

Elsa's eyes flashed again, but her anger was spent. "No, before. Right after I fled the castle, I almost killed several people with a blast of ice. I wasn't trying to, it was mostly reflex."

"Well, that hardly makes you any sort of monster," I started, cutting off when Elsa grimaced and turned to look into the fire.

She sighed before continuing. "I ran to the mountain and created that ice palace. They sent men to find and kill me. I almost killed both of my would-be assassins."

"You couldn't just incapacitate them?" I asked with a mock judging tone. Elsa said nothing, though her eyebrows dipped slightly. "Yeah, it's not so clear when fighting for your life. But you didn't kill them." She shook her head slightly. "And no one else died." Another shake. "Well, then how are you a monster?"

"I almost killed them," Elsa said quietly.

"But you didn't," I retorted.

"Only because Hans stopped me," she replied.

"Look, Elsa. You need to stop beating yourself up about all of this. Everyone makes mistakes, and even if you had killed your assassins people would have a hard time blaming you. Remember what I said earlier? About choice?" She nodded. "Well, by all accounts, you haven't been choosing that poorly. In fact, I'd say you're doing pretty well. Trust me when I say this: you could have done far, far worse with your powers."

Elsa didn't respond immediately, staring off through the fire and looking at nothing. The earlier silence had returned, but it wasn't the oppressive silence of questions unasked. Instead, Elsa's lips slowly curled up into a small half-smile as she considered my words. She must have found some inner peace, because after a few moments she turned to give me a wide smile.

With all of the murders and Faeries and snow demons, it was nice to see something happy for a change. _Snow demons._ Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to set up the events in that cave, and something Elsa said was tickling my mind about the whole situation. I opened my mouth to say something along those lines, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

* * *

><p><em>I could have done worse.<em>

_Couldn't I?_

The nightmares from the fight in the ice castle had resulted in Anna holding me in her arms more nights than I had cared to count, but I had never actually told her why. My sister was still sensitive to discussing Hans and his betrayal, and I had hidden behind that excuse since we had reconciled. Now, I saw that it hadn't been the true reason.

Anna, Kristoff, Kai, Gerda - they all had consoling words and sympathetic eyes for me when I struggled with my powers, but none of them really _understood._ It hurt more than I could ever explain to them to be called "monster," to be reviled for something that I considered a source of beauty and amazement.

As I looked at the wizard sitting next to me and struggled internally with some residual anger, I couldn't help but smile. _Harry_ understood. As much as it unnerved me to be sitting next to him, knowing now the blood on his hands, I nevertheless felt a strong connection with someone who had also unfairly been labeled "monster." He knew what "worse" meant. He probably had nightmares just like mine.

_Unfairly?_ I wondered for a moment, but decided it didn't matter. I was sick of people so easily judging me for actions they had very little basis for understanding, and I suspected there was much more to Harry's story than he had revealed, even now.

The knocks at the door came a second time, jarring my brain back into the present. "Your Majesty," came Kai's muffled voice through the door, "can we speak about the ball tonight?"

_Oh right, the ball!_ With murders and kidnappings and frantic sled rides, I had quite forgotten about the solstice festivities. "Yes, yes, one moment, I'll be right there," I replied. I stood up, taking a moment to collect myself and attempt to make myself presentable. The dress I was wearing was likely beyond salvaging, and my eyes were still red from crying, but it would have to do.

When I opened the door, Kai gave me a look that was equal parts outrage and compassion. I didn't know if he was angry about the dress, but I suspected it was more about my current state. His face scrunched up for an instant, a look I knew well from my antics as a kid. "I'm sorry to bother you. Elsa, as you know, the ball tonight traditionally is led by the monarch. I gathered that you were going to have your sister lead the dance…" His voiced dropped off, clearly displeased by the idea.

"No can do," Harry called from the hearth. "Anna needs to rest, not dance."

Kai glanced in Harry's direction, but abstained from any reproach. "Er, yes. The princess should not be allowed to dance, nevermind what she calls 'dancing.'" He sighed, clearly remembering the chandelier. "So, while I understand that you have been through some particularly trying incidents today, I would like to urge you to consider taking your place in the festivities."

"And if I don't?" I asked.

"Well, quite frankly, your majesty," Kai said, raising a hand to his chin, "while you enjoy significant approval among your citizens, you still have enemies in the court. Recall that it is your birthday tomorrow on top of the traditional holiday. I would strongly advise against having Gerda and I take your place, though if you ask I will certainly oblige."

_Well, no one said being a queen was easy._ As much as I hated dancing, Kai was right. It would be too much of a snub to avoid this admittedly simple responsibility. Luckily, much of the soreness had disappeared, and what lingered wouldn't stop me from dancing. "No, don't bother. I'll lead the dance."

Kai nodded, tension draining from his face. "Good to hear, my queen. Do you have a partner?"

I opened my mouth almost without thinking. "Harry, want to go to a ball?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

I didn't know whose reaction was more amusing - Kai's wide-eyed look of terror or Harry's confused sputtering. "Uh, what?" Harry asked at the same time Kai said "Your majesty…" Harry stuck his head above the back of the chair, twisting to give me a raised eyebrow.

"Well," I said slowly, as though stating the obvious, "you did save my life. And you are a Knight, are you not? Surely that wouldn't be _too_ inappropriate, Kai?"

My seneschal's face fell, and he sighed defeatedly. "Not at all, Elsa. However, his attire leaves quite a bit to be desired."

A thought flashed through my head, and I smiled. "Leave that to me… assuming you want to go, Harry?"

My prospective dance partner didn't respond immediately. Instead, he scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head, as though to dispel an invasive thought. "I don't dance often or well," he said with a tinge of annoyance, "but I suppose I could make an exception tonight."

His response made me inexplicably excited. "Excellent. Kai, can you have someone bring me a suit that would approximately fit Harry? Bigger is better, if you can manage." I glanced at the clock on the mantle. "How much time do we have? It would be nice if we could both bathe beforehand."

"About an hour, give or take. I will send someone up with the suit." Kai glanced again towards the chair, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Are you sure about this, Elsa?"

Harry snorted, and I couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Yes, Kai, I am sure. Dancing requires touching the other person. Do you honestly think anyone else would be willing to even hold my hand?" Kai blinked at that. "That's what I thought. I can't exactly take my sister to a dance."

Kai then bowed slightly, an embarrassed look on his face. "Of course, your majesty. Harry, if you would come with me," he said with only a hint of anxiety, indicating the door. Harry stood up and followed him, and as they walked down the hallway I distinctly heard Kai ask, "A knight? Of what order?"

_That will be hard to explain_, I thought with amusement. I shut the door, letting my momentum carry me into an impromptu spin. Dances and balls were something to be avoided, in my experience, which made my sudden excitement doubly puzzling. Part of it was certainly my conversation with Harry, but I couldn't put my finger on the rest.

We didn't have much time, so I tried to bathe quickly. Harry must have had a similar realization, because I was still arranging my hair when he knocked on the door. Years of isolation had necessitated learning to do things on my own that other royalty would simply employ a handmaiden to do. I had never found it too onerous except when speed was required.

"One moment," I said, fastening the last strands of my braid together. I pulled my bathrobe tight before walking to the door, double checking in a mirror that I was properly covered. Kai had followed my instructions a bit too well - Harry's suit was ill-fitting and baggy. However, his face and hair had been cleaned up, and he looked almost presentable. "Good," I said, noting his displeased frown. "I can work with this."

Harry sat on the edge of my bed as I frantically finished my preparations. "What, exactly, do you intend to do?" he asked curiously as I carefully applied my makeup. I saw his eyes widen appreciatively when I applied a series of snowflakes to my hair and froze back my bangs. "Um… surely you don't intend for me to go like this."

"Of course not," I laughed, checking my reflection before striding into the closet. In the back, separated from my other dresses due to the spell holding it together, was my ice dress. I shucked off my bathrobe before using my finger to trace a line halfway down the back of the dress. The ice split, and once it was on my body a moment's thought drew the icy fabric back together. _The cape can wait for a moment._

As I stepped out of the wardrobe, memory sent me back to the North Mountain. _Appropriate, if I am going to let go of my previous fears. _Harry's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw me. _I didn't move my hips that much, did I? _His mouth worked soundlessly for a second before closing with a click. "Wow, Elsa. That's… incredible," he said when he could talk again. "Did you, uh... actually make that out of ice?"

"Yes," I said, running my hand on the fabric. I still wasn't entirely sure how I had accomplished this particular feat, but I silently hoped I could do it again. "It started out as my coronation dress, and I somehow transformed it."

Harry nodded. "My godmother did something similar for me, once." He blinked, then raised a baggy suit arm. "Oh, I see. I'm not quite as resistant to cold as you, Elsa," he began, but I shushed him.

"It's not that cold. Here, stand up." He did as I asked, and I walked around him once to see what my starting point was. I disliked those military-esque suits favored by much of the nobility, so instead I thought back once again to my coronation. Several of the guests had been wearing a loose coat and ruffled shirt, and with a few modifications I had an image in my mind. I moved several steps back, drawing in power. "Look at me," I said, and when he turned, I released the spell.

Harry was engulfed in a wintry cloud for several seconds, but when it cleared, I saw that my spell had worked. His outer jacket and pants were composed of the same brilliant icy fabric as my dress, but it was a somewhat darker color of blue. He now sported a vest the same color as my dress along with a ruffled shirt that was so light blue it was nearly white. The buttons and accents were all nearly-black chips of ice.

"Elsa, this is amazing," he said in an awed voice, raising his arm to inspect my work. "I'm not entirely sure how you did it, but I'm not uncomfortably cold."

I blushed a bit. "I'm glad you like it. I've always wanted to make clothing for other people, but no one else can deal with the temperature." Anna had once snuck into my closet to try on this dress, but had sought me out not two minutes later to help her take it off due to the chill.

As I was putting on the finishing touches to my hair and makeup, Harry went to the mirror and stretched. "Does it fit alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, it fits great," he said. "I'm really impressed."

I blushed again, making it hard to judge the amount of rouge I had applied. "Thanks." _I'm forgetting something,_ I realized as I checked the mirror.

Everything else appeared to be in order, so I hoped that whatever I was forgetting wasn't too important and stood up to inspect Harry. _Wow, he does look good,_ I thought, admiring my work. He had a rugged handsomeness that I wouldn't have guessed looked good in a suit, yet somehow he pulled it off. There was an awkward moment where we both stopped and stared at the other person before I remembered the last bit.

I drew on my power again, reconstituting the last part of my dress - the cape. I caught another glance in the mirror. _No, that wasn't it. What am I forgetting? _"Want one, too?" I asked Harry, but he shook his head.

"No capes," he replied in a nasally voice, smiling at some reference I didn't get.

"Suit yourself," I replied with a grin.

"You already did," he said with a smirk. I tried to conceal my smile, but I couldn't hold in the laugh. Harry joined me, and for what felt like the first time all day the depressive mood dispersed.

As we made to leave, Harry picked up his staff. "You can't really dance with that," I said with mock seriousness.

"No, but I don't want to be without it." The implication of that statement - that even here in the castle, he felt threatened - was enough to dampen our smiles. I nodded slowly, and we made our way out of the room. Harry only barely avoided tripping himself on my cape, to my partial amusement.

"Can you even dance that thing trailing behind you?" he asked in annoyance once we successfully navigated the door.

"I think so," I replied, eyebrows drawing down in thought. "Actually…" I took a few experimental steps in the hallway, but even trying to move carefully I still almost tangled my feet and fell. Harry caught my arm at the last second. "Or, maybe not. I'll dismantle it when it comes time to dance."

"Wait, isn't that the only thing we are going to do?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I agreed to dance. As a rule, I try to avoid politics. Court functions seem to fall under that heading."

I smiled sheepishly. "It won't be much. I'll be announced, and then say some thanks for coming and all that." _Oh, of course._ "We'll need to take a detour," I said as I remembered what was missing. "This is a fairly official function, and I left my crown in the library."

We had plenty of time, so while we took the shortest route, I walked slowly so that I could brief Harry on quick rules of the Arendelle court. _My court. It's mine now._ That was a still a sobering thought, if infrequent, given that I shared my parents habit of running everything informally. Anna sometimes wanted to have more formal events and the like, but we had both laughed mightily at the thought of her being the prim and proper princess.

"Mostly you just have to worry about Lewis telling an inappropriate joke. When he was regent, you could mistake council meetings for people telling lewd stories in a tavern," I said with a smile as we rounded the last corner. A servant came out of the library just as we neared the door, hurrying down the hallway. _Strange, I don't recognize him. _"Huh," I said almost to myself. "I thought I knew all of the castle staff..."

Harry watched the servant for a moment, then cursed under his breath. "That's because he's not on your payroll." His staff lit up in a blink and he thrust it forward, saying, "He's a faerie! _Forzare!_"

A blast of force rocketed out of the end of the staff, making waves in the carpet as it shot down the hallway. It slammed into the legs of the fleeing spy, sending him sprawling on the ground and knocking a dust rag out of his hands. Harry was running even before his spell connected, moving with surprising quickness. _Good thing I made the suit move so freely,_ I thought.

I almost raised my hands to help him, but my brain was suddenly filled with images of frozen Annas and assassins. I doubted Harry needed the help, but that didn't help the realization that it might take a while before I was useful in a fight.

Despite his uncanny speed Harry was too slow.. Moving faster than I thought humanly possible, the faerie jumped up, producing a pair of daggers from somewhere in his uniform. However, when he turned to face Harry, his face stiffened in recognition. The faerie's eyes darted around quickly, and just as Harry raised his staff for another spell the faerie launched himself at the nearest window.

The window shattered loudly, sending a spray of glass cascading into the courtyard beyond. Harry reached the window only a second later, but upon looking out he swore. "Damn it, there's a storm blowing in. We'll never catch him." As if to punctuate his remark, a sudden gust sent a billow of snow and ice into the hallway.

I raised my hand, filling in the broken window with ice. "What did he want?" I asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure. Let me check the library for traps before you enter."

The library, however, appeared to be trap-free. I felt a momentary pang of embarrassment, having left my crown simply sitting on a stack of books on an endtable. _Then again, I did fling it all the way across my ice castle._ My father had joking complained to us about his crown, but I doubted he had been _that_ careless.

I exited the library to find Harry in the middle of a circle that he had drawn out of chalk, holding the dust rag. After a second, he reached down and smudged the chalk line, and I felt the whisper of power that he released. His head turned and his eyes tightened, but then he cursed again. "Yeah, there's too much interference and I don't have even a slightly useable link."

"Interference from what?" I asked, though a sinking feeling gave me a good guess.

Harry's small sigh confirmed it. "You, I think. When we were arguing, some of your power must have slipped, or something. At least part of this storm is driven magically"

"That seems reasonable," I said as we resumed walking to the ballroom. "It's happened before when I let my emotions get the best of me."

"Hm," Harry grunted in reply. I expected more of a response, but glancing sideways I saw that he was mentally occupied. Whether the storm or the spy, I didn't know, but we didn't make much conversation during the remainder of the time to the ballroom.

Kai was waiting for us when we arrived. "Your majesty, I have to say I was suspicious about your wardrobe plans, but this more than suitable," he said casting a critical eye over Harry's suit. "I think this will do very well, except for the walking stick."

I nodded at the praise while Harry gave his staff to a guard with pointed instructions to move it to his seat. "Thank you, Kai, I'm glad you approve. I suppose you need a title for Harry?"

"I was planning on using 'Harry Dresden, the Winter Knight.' It seemed appropriate," Kai replied.

"Well, that is my name," Harry said seriously. "Or at least, some of it." I shared a confused glance with Kai, but Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll explain later."

Kai pulled his pocket watch from his jacket. "Right on time. Are you ready?"

I shared a glance with Harry, who for some reason had a look of apprehension on his face. I smiled up at him, asking "Shall we?"

* * *

><p><em>Am I ready?<em>

I was still a bit confused why I had agreed to accompany Elsa to this party in the first place. I would readily admit that there was a strong hormonal component, the flames of which I was attempting to douse, but there was something else I couldn't bring to the surface. Something about how Elsa had almost thoughtlessly asked me to go with her.

It had not helped watching her walk out of the closet in that ice dress. I had seen creatures of beauty and allure in my work, but all of the glamour in the world didn't hold a candle to the honest presence of Elsa in that dress. And even without her force of personality, she was strikingly beautiful to boot. Though she was stately and formal now, after seeing Elsa strut her stuff I had realized I would do nearly anything to have her near me.

_Near you? You'd like her on - _

I squashed that thought flat, then took a deep breath before the doors opened. This would be difficult enough without the Winter Knight's mantle intruding in that particular way. I almost wish it could be reasoned with - at least Lasciel knew I couldn't just ravish someone in the middle of a ball, no matter how pretty they were.

Elsa hooked her arm through mine, and a moment later the doors were drawn open. Kai's voice boomed into the hall just as dozens of conversations ended abruptly. "Her Majesty Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Harry Dresden, the Winter Knight." I chuckled internally at the formality, but kept my best poker face for the assembled crowd who now turned and gave us bows and curtsies.

We walked at an appropriately stately speed to the center of the room, which quickly emptied upon our arrival. All eyes were on us, and most of those were wide with shock. I did my best to ignore their stares, but being the object of attention for so many people was unnerving. There were too many faces to learn anything, but I still glanced around the room looking for anything unusual.

"Relax, and at least try to smile," Elsa whispered chiddingly out of the corner of her mouth.

It didn't even register to me that I had tensed up, so just as we reached the center of the room I took a deep breath. I wanted to chalk it up to faeries or being stared at by dozens of random people, but deep down I knew it was due to what Elsa and I were about to do.

"Thank you all for coming," her speech began, but I lost track after three seconds when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. All thoughts of dancing - and other things - were forced out of my mind. Someone had just used magic nearby.

Not just any magic - faerie magic, by the feel of it. Being around Elsa set a fairly high background noise level for my magical senses, but they were still sensitive enough to pick up whatever tiny spell had been cast. I closed my eyes and turned my head, attempting to find the direction. _Right over -_

My concentration broke when Elsa whispered my name. "Harry, ready?" I almost told her no, that we should cancel the ball and find the source of the magic. However, I knew this dance was too important to her. Cursing inwardly, I nodded and offered my hand. She took it, stepping in next to me and putting my other hand on her waist. With a flick of her wrist, the long ice cape attached to her dress vanished in a puff. The orchestra took that as their cue, and soon enough we were waltzing.

Despite knowing of immediate danger in a foreign universe where I had no backup or even a reasonable escape, I allowed myself to get lost in the dancing for a few moments. Being this close to Elsa was almost intoxicating, holding and swaying with her in time to the music. The Winter Knight's mantle approved wholeheartedly, and I was annoyed that I agreed with it. It was almost as bad as that time I danced with Mab, except she had been leading, not me.

_Mab..._

My brain snapped back into gear, causing me to almost miss a step. Elsa looked up, her ice-blue eyes reflecting some confusion, and I saw that I was right. _That _was the connection that had been bugging me. It was almost too obvious, now that I realized what I was looking at. Elsa may have lacked Mab's inhuman beauty and grace on account of being human, but if I had run into Elsa ten years ago I would have been forgiven for mistaking her for my boss.

"Harry?" Elsa asked, quietly. We were still dancing, more carefully since my misstep. I directed us more towards the center, and once sufficiently far from people I whispered back.

"I think… I think there's something bigger going on here," I said quietly. "Coming from Chicago was very dangerous, and my boss wouldn't risk it over some simple murders."

I didn't see Elsa's initial reaction, as I took the opportunity in the music to spin her around. When she was facing me again, her eyebrows were drawn down in thought. "I suppose that makes sense. What prompted this?"

"I, uh…" Elsa had some idea about Mab due to my explanation, and I don't think she would appreciate being compared to a psychotic, sinister force of nature. I was sure there was some connection, but I had no idea what it meant. "I'll tell you later," I said quietly.

Elsa nodded slightly, and we danced uninterrupted for the remainder of the music. I wasn't the most sophisticated dancer, but we managed to put on a respectable show for the guests. To my surprise, I was actually enjoying myself - likewise for Elsa. As we danced, her posture became noticeably more relaxed and comfortable. Her left hand was gripping my upper arm almost familiarly, while the fingers of her right had crept down so our palms were touching.

"You're pretty good at this," she murmured, squeezing my hand for emphasis.

I had to swallow before replying. "Um… thanks. You're a good dancer, too."

She gave me a smile in return that I wasn't mentally prepared to deal with, so I responding by twirling her around. Elsa, however, had a different idea. At the end of the twirl, she reversed direction and pulled herself in towards my chest. My eyes went wide as my nose filled with the scent of her shampoo, and when she unwound herself I swear she giggled.

It was far too soon that she whispered, "Music's ending soon." Her voice carried the faintest note of regret, which I echoed with a small sigh.

When the music did end, we stopped to take a short bow. Elsa's face was regal as I had ever seen it, but her cheeks were flushed slightly and her smile seemed to be forced smaller, rather than larger. The crowd took this as their cue to flood onto the dance floor, so Elsa led me off to side to avoid being trampled.

I tried to say something, but she turned and gave me a mock serious glare and a "Ssh!"

Our destination was the far corner of the ballroom, as far as we could get from the music and people. Elsa turned, and for a long moment we looked at each other. She recovered first, shaking her head. "We don't have a lot of time. I need to be back at the high table before people ask more questions than they will already. Harry, I think - "

I held up my hand, and she stopped. Fishing the chalk out of my icy pocket, I reached down and drew an impromptu circle surrounding us. I imbued it with a tiny effort of will, and it enclosed us with a faintly shimmering barrier.

"Elsa, there's some faeries here at your party," I said quickly. "I didn't spot any coming in, but I did feel someone doing magic during your speech."

She nodded. "That's what I was about to ask. I felt… something, then I saw you close your eyes. I assumed it was magic, but I didn't know how to learn anything useful."

I cursed under my breath. "Ok, let me think of something. Let's go sit down, for the moment."

I smudged the circle with my foot and we walked carefully to the high table. The queen's place was at the center, as to be expected, but curiously the two seats to her right were left empty. My staff was propped up against the seat on her left, so I moved it, sat down, and tried to think.

_Faeries. That means glamour and other trickery._ I tried to recall the exact way the spell had 'felt' to my magical sense, but it was too brief and I hadn't been expecting it at that time. That disturbed me for a moment. _What if I had been too enamoured with Elsa to realize?_ I mentally kicked myself for forgetting that I was still in an alien, hostile universe with unknown and dangerous foes.

Why were they here, in the castle? Unless they thought to pull off another murder right under Elsa's nose, they would be looking for something. The library had looked simple enough, but I knew very well the power that could be hiding in a book. _Maybe someone on this side figured out a particularly dangerous summoning ritual._ But why not simply break in and steal it? Why all of the murder theatrics?

My train of thought was interrupted by "Oh, and this was your rescuer?" I looked up to see a pudgy, grey-haired older man in a very fancy suit speaking to me. "I daresay having to be saved like a damsel in distress does not help your image, your majesty," he said in a barely respectful tone.

I glanced at Elsa, who had a carefully neutral expression on her face. Turning back to the man, I tried to keep the derision out of my voice. I _did_ try. "Well, I would hardly call her a 'damsel in distress.' I'd tell you that the queen dispatched an entire squad of archers single-handedly before engaging a fifteen foot tall ice demon created by the attackers, but I'm sure you know that already."

I held up my hand and summoned a miniature raging firestorm, keeping my eyes focused on the swirling flames. "I'd tell you about how it took two of us to destroy the demon, given that our most powerful spells bounced right off of its hide. Only the most talented wizards would even stand a chance against such a thing. But again, you probably know that." I looked up at the man, raising my little fireball and causing his eyes to grow wide with terror. "And I'd tell you how insanely stupid it is to threaten someone who can exterminate those types of demons, but… I think you see my point."

For his part, the man dealt with that terror by sticking his ground. Every part of his body language screamed pure horror, but he hung on by a thread of willpower. His eyes didn't leave my spell, but they did narrow ever so slightly. "Well, it's a shame your sister couldn't make it," he began, voice wavering.

"Oh, such a shame!" came a much brighter voice. I extinguished the flame, turning my head with everyone else towards the source. Anna and Kristoff had come up behind the grey-haired man, having found the time to change into dance-worthy clothes and clean up from earlier. "Sorry if I'm a bit late, lost track of time and all," she said with a toothy grin.

The man whipped his head back around towards me, then to Anna again, then back. He opened his mouth to say something, but I raised my hand again and he bolted. To say that he ran was not quite right, but he was moving quickly enough that he almost collided with several dancers.

A long moment passed while Anna considered me and Elsa, sitting next to each other. She stared for a moment at my suit before making her way around before easing carefully into the chair on Elsa's right side. "Nice going, Harry," she said with a conflicted smile. "I thought he was going to soil himself when you made those flames."

Elsa shook her head. "That was completely unnecessary, and rude. I don't like Rosenius, but even with all of the trouble he causes in the court I would never stoop to threatening him."

"I don't like bullies," I replied. Elsa glanced at me for a moment before closing her eyes and grimacing. "Either way, doesn't matter. I have an idea how to expose whatever trickery is going on here, but I'll need your help again. How do you feel about another dance?"

Elsa's face immediately lit up with a smile, a fact noticed by her sister. Anna's face, on the other hand, was unreadable. She had clearly figured out that Elsa and I were dancing together earlier, but perhaps she was hoping it would end there. As I led Elsa around the table, she turned back to Kristoff and started whispering furiously.

"Ok, here's the plan," I said when we were out of earshot. "I'm pretty sure there's some disguised faeries in the crowd, which means trouble. We need to bring down their glamour." I pointed down at Elsa's feet. "Can you make ice with your feet that won't melt?"

She nodded, eyes narrowing before blinking in realization. "A circle. You want to waltz all the way around the dance floor, and dispel their disguises."

I smiled, and she mirrored me. "Exactly. I'll power up the circle when we close it. They'll react immediately, so we need to be prepared to knock them out before they can do any damage." _I wish I could waltz with a staff._ Unfortunately, that would ruin the charade.

Elsa mulled that over for a second. "I'm not sure I can use magic like that right now," she said quietly. She didn't say it with much conviction, however.

I tried to sound compassionate, but the anticipation and worry about the coming conflict was starting to take hold. "I'm sure you'll be fine. This may be our only chance to catch them unaware." She nodded, only looking half convinced.

As Elsa walked over to the musicians to ask them for a longer waltz, the pressure in my chest kept rising. _It's just a bunch of faeries_, I thought. _The bystanders complicate things, but this is hardly the most dangerous situation you've been in._ Watching Elsa walk, however, exposed those feelings for what they really were. _I get to dance with her again._

Elsa must have had similar thoughts, because her cheeks were slightly more red than normal and her breathing was ever so slightly rushed. We waited patiently on the edge of the dance floor for the next dance to start, and once the music started, we began.

To distract from what we were doing, Elsa added little bits of ice and snow flourish to our movements while we danced. If concentrating had been difficult before, it was almost impossible now. After a few steps and their accompanying ice, she dropped whatever pretense had been holding her back and pulled me in slightly closer.

We danced, taking our time and leaving a swirling trail of ice in our wake. Elsa held my eyes almost entirely, though I could see that we were captivating the audience even as they danced. _Good, stay near the middle,_ I tried desperately to think. I also caught a glimpse of Anna, sitting at the table and face somewhere between outrage and excitement.

"Almost done," Elsa breathed, and the imminent conflict cleared my mind. I eased away from her ever so slightly as we finished the loop, before carefully leading our steps towards the middle of the room. As soon as we reached the middle, I twirled her around so that we were back-to-back and then powered up the circle.

The effect was immediate. A respectful distance had separated the crowd from us when we waltzed back to the middle, and this was all that separated us from eight faeries who just had their disguises ruined. The four pairs shared a moment of shock to find their inhuman features revealed. Several onlookers gasped and pointed.

It was pretty obvious why they were here. Each of them carried two long daggers at their waists, sheathed with black leather, and more than one had additional knives stuck in their belts. They were wearing finely-worked ring mail, also black, and I would bet good money that it was hardened in some way to resist magic. Someone was going through a lot of effort to assassinate me and Elsa.

"_Et tu?"_ I asked with a smile, wishing I had my staff in hand at that moment.

However, instead of attacking or even giving a retort, they stared at me and Elsa. One of them licked her lips and reached for a dagger at her belt, and it slicked partially out of its sheath. There was a greenish liquid coating the blade. _Ok, don't let those touch flesh. Or anything else._

Elsa turned at the sound, extending her arm across my chest. The partner of the one who drew the dagger laid his hand on the partially-exposed hilt. "We can't risk hurting the queen," he hissed. Then, almost as one, then turned and fled into the crowd.

I barely even waited before giving chase. The crowd was too dense to fling spells, so I had to resort to running and pushing people out of the way. The faeries' unnatural grace let them dodge and move much more quickly, and they were already running down the hallway by time I got to the door. The would-be assassins fled into the storm through a side door before I could grab one with a spell.

Elsa caught up with me a moment later. With slight indignation I noticed the crowd had parted around her. "What is going on? Why did they just run?" she whispered.

"I don't know, but if its any consolation, I don't think they would hurt you," I replied quietly, mind racing. "In fact, I think you just preemptively stopped a nasty fight."

Someone must have realized that the threat had passed, because the music started playing again. Elsa waved her hand at the crowd, and they cautiously went back to dancing. She then pulled me into the hallway and shut the heavy door behind us. With a wave of her hand, a pair of ice chairs materialized and she sat down onto one heavily.

"They're here for you, aren't they?" she asked in a tired voice, pushing stray parts of her hair away from her face.

I sat down next to her. "Almost certainly. I think… I wasn't supposed to be here. I think they need you and Anna for something nefarious, but having me in the picture complicates everything. I don't think they expected us to rescue you earlier, or for you to be dancing with me at a ball."

Elsa nodded, a smile crossing her lips at that last. "I know I didn't expect things to be so interesting when you showed up." She turned to look at me, staring at me with her iridescent blue eyes. "I didn't expect things to be so much… fun," she said, biting her lip.

It took me a moment to realize that our faces were only inches apart. Elsa grasped my hand in hers, and before I had time to think about the gesture I reached in to kiss her.

* * *

><p>I discovered it was hard to think and kiss at the same time. Thoughts along the lines of "your would-be assassins might return" or "he's a murderous hitman for an insane fairy" somehow didn't register compared to the feeling of Harry's lips. My last completely rational thought was that I really didn't know what I was doing, and hoped to not screw everything up.<p>

We sat on my conjured chairs, lips locked together and in each other's arms for several minutes. At one point, Harry tried protesting. He got as far as "Elsa, maybe we - " before I pulled his mouth back to mine. To emphasize my point, I shifted myself to sitting on his lap, wrapping one of his legs with mine.

A creak from the door was our only warning, and I whipped my head around to see Kai peeking around the doorframe. When he saw us, his eyes went wide and his mouth opened. I glared at him and raised a finger to my lips, causing him to choke back his objection. To emphasize my point, I freed my hand from Harry's grasp and used it to pull the door shut with a gust of cold air.

"Let's go somewhere more private," I murmured to Harry. He nodded in agreement.

We had to take a back route through the castle to avoid people, with a brief stop in a storeroom to engage in more kissing. The room held some old, massive furniture wrought from stone. I soon found myself sitting on one of the tables, which brought my mouth level with Harry's.

Our arrangement enabled him to kiss me more thoroughly than before. I was pleasantly surprised when he went from kissing my mouth to kissing my neck, and I accidentally scraped his back with my fingernails. This seemed to drive him on, squeezing my hips and getting his hand caught in my hair. I responded in kind.

After some time we left the storage room and travelled the rest of the way to my bedroom.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note - See my profile for news and updates_

We awoke to a slam followed by yelling, which perhaps we should have expected.

"ELSA, WHAT THE HELL!?"

I was still waking up, trying to register where I was and what I was doing. The first took me a moment, as the previous night replayed itself in my head. There was dancing, then faeries, then kissing. Elsa and I had come back upstairs and kissed a bit more, but by unspoken agreement we had refused to go any further. Instead, I made a fire in the nearly-unused hearth and we cuddled on her couch in front of the flames.

I think it had been a _long_ time since anyone was willing to do that with Elsa.

We later fell asleep in her exceptionally comfortable bed, answering the first part of my question. As for the second, it appeared we were currently being berated by her younger sister.

Anna stood at the foot of the bed, fuming. Her anger had an almost physical presence, as though I could feel it radiating off of her body. I groggily tried to clear my eyes with the cuff of my borrowed pajamas as she launched into another tirade.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? With him? Now?" she demanded angrily.

Elsa was in a similar state of waking up, yawning and stretching. "Go away, Anna," she sighed sleepily.

Her offhanded dismissal seemed only to exacerbate the problem. "Like hell I'm just going to walk away! Did you even bother to think before you - " Anna spat, but Elsa cut her off.

"Anna. We kissed, nothing more. I never gave you trouble with Kristoff, so just let me be, ok?" Elsa said, with a bit more bite than I expected this early in the morning.

Anna hissed at that, clenching her fists at her sides. "It's totally different. He's, he's… Harry Dresden, of all people. A mon-"

My eyes widened a bit. "Don't you dare!" Elsa snapped, cutting her off again. "I don't care about whatever you saw when he soulgazed you. He saved your life yesterday, possibly again last night, and he has done more than you know to help me feel like I'm not some freak of nature." She gave Anna a stern glare. "Besides, we just danced and kissed. It's not like I asked him to marry me."

I thought Anna was going to explode. Her face reddened and her eyes widened, and with a start I realized that the heat I had felt earlier was not metaphorical. While Anna started yelling things about "replacing me" and "family," I didn't really comprehend. My entire concentration was focused on her clenched fists, which were glowing faintly.

"... it's not like I slept with him on that first night, not that I could have since you _ran off_," Anna was snarling.

Elsa had broken her eyes from her sister to follow my stare, saying "We didn't…" but trailing off as she realized something strange was happening.

Anna finally noticed where our stares were pointed. "No," she said angrily, both to herself and us. She unclenched her fingers, and for a brief second they were encircled by flames that promptly vanished. "No, this was not how this was supposed to happen." She pointed a finger at me, faintly trailing smoke. "Not with HIM here!"

Before Elsa or I could stop her, Anna turned and ran. The oppressive heat left with her, and as she pulled the door shut behind her I could hear the hiss of smoldering wood. Elsa met my eyes for an instant before jumping up from the bed. She crossed the room in a flash and wrenched the door open, darting out into the hallway.

I opted to sit in the bed as opposed to join in the chase. If Anna was anywhere near as powerful as her sister, I might as well put on a red shirt before going into the hallway. Strangely enough, the Winter Knight's mantle scoffed at that fear. It _wanted_ me to chase Anna, consequences be damned. As much as I disagreed, however, it tried to get my body ready for combat.

Adrenaline was a better pick-me-up than coffee, so to burn off the extra energy I started pacing next to the bed. Anna's outburst made a twisted sort of sense, actually. The younger sister was all passion while her sister was all logic… most of the time. Fiery passion and cold logic, respectively, matching their apparent powers.

The next realization hit me like a sledgehammer. I knew two other sisters who fit the same description. The difference was, both of them were queens.

"Harry?" Elsa asked, and I turned around. My pacing placed my back to the door, and in my shock I failed to hear Elsa return to the room. "What's wrong?"

"I, um," I said, blinking. Elsa peered back at me, blue eyes sparkling and head tilted slightly in confusion. "There's something really, really, outrageously weird going on here, and I think I am beginning to understand what."

"So you said last night," she replied. "If it has to do with my sister, then we may be able to get some answers." In her hand was a piece of paper, which she unfolded. "_Elsa, I am taking Anna for a walk by the fjord. Go visit the trolls, take Sven. We will talk when we get back,_" she read aloud. "It's from Kristoff."

"Trolls?" I asked.

* * *

><p>Harry left to get changed, and I stared at the closed door for a moment. When I had gone to Anna's door and knocked, there had been no response except Kristoff's hastily-scratched note shoved under the door. The meaning had been clear and so I had left to give my sister some space, as much as it pained me to just walk away. <em>Anna… with magic?<em> The thought was almost too absurd to be true, but I had seen it with my own eyes.

I had to understand so that I could help her.

I spent so long thinking about this new aspect of my sister that I was still in my pajamas when Harry returned from the guest room. He stood there awkwardly as I dressed in the closet and made myself presentable enough, offering only the smallest sigh when I picked a conservative dress.

I almost chided him for it when a knock came at the door. "Your majesty," Kai's voice began.

"Yes, one moment," I replied, gathering the last of my hair into a quick ponytail and making sure my dress was settled. When I opened the door, Kai was standing there with a large bouquet of flowers.

"Happy birthday!" he said cheerfully, presenting the flowers. "From the castle staff."

"I, uh… thanks," I responded, "Really, thank you Kai. Send my regards. But there's been a bit of an emergency that came up, and I need to leave immediately."

My seneschal's face fell a bit. "I was afraid you would be occupied, Kristoff asked us prepare Sven for a trip." He looked to Harry, who was making no effort to hide his tension and worry. "Is there something I can do to help?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately not."

Kai sighed, then procured a note. "This is from Herulvsen, not urgent. He and his deputies have made some progress." I took it, and Kai bowed. "My condolences that you don't get to relax on your birthday, Elsa."

"Thanks Kai," I said, and he turned to leave. I sat down at the edge of the bed to pull on my boots, and we followed almost on Kai's heels.

Harry didn't say anything on the walk down the stables. He only raised an eyebrow when I leaned down to give Sven a carrot and say, "We're going to the trolls," which was followed by a snort from Sven. The storm last night had left a fairly thick blanket of snow on the ground, and so I didn't need to replicate Harry's snow-making trick from yesterday to ease our path out of the city.

Once outside the city and away from prying eyes, I slid over on the seat so that I was pressing up against Harry's side. He noticed, absently putting his arm around my back. We rode like that until the silence stretched uncomfortably long. "So," I asked quietly, "what is on your mind?"

Harry took so long to answer that I didn't think he heard me. "So, I don't know anything one hundred percent," he said, squeezing me for support. "All I have is a whole series of hunches. But some things are making more sense, and I think I now understand part of the picture." He sighed before continuing. "Before I begin, however, I need to explain something. I'm not actually from this world. I'm from a parallel reality."

"I think… I think I knew that, somehow," I replied slowly. "Your clothes are weird and your accent is strange, but that's not really it. It's something deeper, like my powers recognize that you don't belong. I don't really understand."

He nodded. "Where I'm from is not important now, so we can discuss it later. Elsa, I've met a lot of people with a lot of power, and the vast majority of them do really horrible stuff with it. You're about as far from that as you could be, so please don't take too much offense with my next statement." My breath caught as Harry seemed to collect his thoughts. "I am almost certain that you and your sister are this world's equivalents of Mab and Titania."

I felt like I had been punched. My brain was reeling, fragments of Harry's description of the evil Winter queen replaying in my head. I managed to stammer out "What?"

Harry made a pacifying gesture. "Look, it's not exact. But too much fits - your powers, your personalities, your lineage. You and Anna are practically twins. Obviously you are human, so that's a pretty big issue for this theory, but…"

He trailed off, glancing at me as though to gauge my reaction. I was too stunned to say anything immediately, but slowly my mind worked through the pieces. He was right, there were parallels. In fact, in retrospect it seemed obvious, apart from Anna's apparent mastery of fire. "What does this mean?"

"I don't know," Harry said as shook his head. "Let's see what these trolls have to say."

We rode in silence for the rest of the trip. I wanted to ask Harry more, about his reality and what aspects of the Mab he saw in me. _He did say she was incredibly beautiful,_ I thought with a small blush. Maybe his power had recognized the similarity, too?

Sven seemed to sense our urgency, taking us directly to the center of the Valley of the Living Stones without stopping to admire the sights along the way. Predictably, when we arrived the trolls were in their hibernative state, appearing to the untrained eye to be simple boulders. Harry's gaze was fixated on a nearby troll, though I didn't know if he yet understood.

I didn't even need to explain, because as soon as we stepped off the sled the trolls started to wake. They rolled towards us in a great rush, the bouncing of troll on rock making an almost deafening rumble. Harry didn't jump back or shout, but his eyebrows almost climbed to his scalp once the trolls unfurled.

"It's the queen!" came a hundred hushed voices, though I only sought one. The other trolls parted to make way for Grand Pabbie, who offered me a bow. I returned it with a nod of my head. "Queen Elsa," he said formally.

However, when he looked up and saw Harry, he started spluttering. "And you've brought a _starborn_?! Here? _Now?!_" The eldest troll looked around, wide-eyed and shaking his head. His voice was carefully contained fury. "Everyone, we need some privacy, please."

The other trolls exchanged confused glances, but nevertheless rolled back up and retreated into the hills. In a few moments, the three of us and Sven stood alone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Pabbie asked forcefully to Harry. "Do you have _any idea_ what sort of trouble you could bring on this land by being here? Never mind the question of 'how do you exist,' since we haven't had the right confluence of events in over two hundred years."

Harry snorted. "Hey, I could just look good for my bicentennial."

Pabbie made a frustrated noise, but I interjected. "Pabbie, this is Harry Dresden, the Winter Knight and professional wizard. Harry, this is Grand Pabbie, king of the trolls."

Harry offered his hand to the troll, who had gone still when I gave Harry's title. "Sir Knight," he said carefully and took the proffered hand, "it is my pleasure."

"Ditto," said Harry. "I have a feeling you know the answers to several of my questions."

The troll seemed to deflate, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his hands. "That is very likely true. I have a feeling I won't like answering." He led us over to an outcropping where we could sit somewhat comfortably, then joined us on a higher ledge. "Before you begin, let us get a few things straight. You're the one who opened that portal? I could feel the tear in reality all the way down here."

Pabbie pointed up the mountain, where my ice castle glittered at the top of the mountain. Harry looked up, recognition crossing his face. "Er, no. I followed the faerie here who opened the portal. She's a homicidal maniac with a crew of slightly less manic faeries that have tried to kill Elsa and Anna several times, among other things. I've been trying to stop them."

"He's also been teaching me some magic," I added. "You were right about finding another human."

"A starborn wizard and a Knight," Pabbie said, rubbing his chin. He peered at Harry more carefully, as though seeing into him. I was surprised to see Harry shift uncomfortably under the gaze. "And… soulfire? _Somebody_ on the other side of that portal scored big time with you." Pabbie's eyes went distant for a moment, and he looked back up to the portal. "I think that will be very important, soon."

_Soulfire? Starborn? _I would have to ask Harry later.

Harry didn't respond immediately. "I think you know precisely who that 'somebody' is," he said quietly.

Pabbie shook his head. "Not as such. In our universe, that purpose still rests in the hands of others, despite…" He trailed off, then glanced back at Harry. There was a moment where they seemed to already know what the other was going to say, and thus didn't speak. "I see, you're here about Anna."

"Wait, what? How could you possibly have known that?" I asked hurriedly. "Also, what exactly is going on here? Are you implying he knows about Mab?"

Harry and Pabbie shared a glance. "It is technically your job," the troll said with a small grin. "And you're the one teaching her."

With an exasperated noise, Harry started speaking. "Ok, this makes much more sense. Elsa, when I explained the Summer and Winter Courts, I left out a really important piece. In some senses, the most important piece. Mab, the Winter Queen, has huge power, sure. But power has a purpose."

"Power has a purpose," Pabbie muttered. "That's putting it lightly."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Mab has all of her power to protect our reality from being invaded by these things called Outsiders. They're… hard to explain, but the most important part is that they cannot be allowed in under any circumstances."

"You implied Mab was some evil, heartless, manipulative, and dangerous faerie," I said with a note of anger. "And now she's the protector of a whole reality?"

"Not just one," Pabbie interjected. "The Gates have to hold in all possible realities."

"And yes," Harry said tiredly, "she is both. Everything I told you about her is true. She is one of the most dangerous beings I know. And as much as I dislike her means - including the fact that I am her Knight - without her things would be a whole hell of a lot worse." He gave a small chuckle. "Actually, I suspect Hell would be preferable."

I thought for a second, trying to recall Harry's explanation. "Then what does Titania do? If you think Anna and I are somehow related to this, what's her part?"

"She protects our world from Mab," Harry replied darkly. "Yeah, it's not an ideal situation. In fact, I'm not sure you'd be able to give someone enough power to hold off Outsiders without them being changed by it."

Pabbie nodded at that. "That's correct. And yes, you and your sister are very definitely related to this. Sir Knight, have you figured it out?"

Harry grinned, though it didn't entirely show in his eyes. "Mostly. The current guardians, they want to retire from duty. Maybe their mantles are starting to wane, or there's politics or something." Pabbie made an 'approximately-correct' gesture, so Harry nodded and continued.

"Ok, close enough. So they rig up some big ritual to transfer the power to someone else. Well, maybe 'big' is an understatement. Anyway, something goes horribly wrong, and the power just starts slipping all over the place. Elsa and Anna are close enough to the original targets, and they get some of the backlash."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. "What? Anna was born three years after me."

Harry looked at Pabbie before answering. "I think that failure on this sort of level doesn't happen instantaneously. They'd probably have to do some serious temporal manipulation to make sure there wasn't a gap in the defenses, so the power could have just hung around nearby looking for a suitable host." Harry's eyebrows drew together, and he stood up to look around. "Some of it is probably stuck around here."

Pabbie nodded. "You're mostly correct. In short, some very powerful individuals tried to set up a ritual much like the one you described not that far from where we are sitting right now about a millennium ago. The ritual would have, I believe, put us in much the same situation as your reality. Instead, it backfired spectacularly." He swept out his hand to the Valley. "Some of your so-called 'Summer' power remained here."

"Now there's some stuck in Anna, too," I half-asked, half-sighed.

"Not just now," Pabbie said. "Elsa, when your parents brought you here thirteen years ago and told me you had been born with your power, I realized almost immediately what had happened. Upon inspection, I saw that both you and Anna harbored fragments of the shattered power within you."

The troll sighed heavily, and his next words were filled with remorse. "I panicked, warning your parents and altering your sister's memories in an attempt to prevent both of you from killing yourselves or others with your power. Unfortunately, you had already gained considerable mastery over your own abilities."

"So why is Anna just now showing her power? Couldn't it have happened earlier?"

Pabbie shook his head. "Not really, no. Anna is far, far weaker than you. She has less than a hundredth of your power, if even that."

Harry snorted. "That's still a lot of raw power."

"Perhaps," Pabbie replied. "But I think what really triggered it was being frozen on the fjord. She came to me for help with her newfound abilities not even a month after the thaw."

"You knew?" I asked, surprised. "Did she come to you before I asked about magic?"

Pabbie shook his head. "No, you were first. She specifically asked me to keep her secret until she worked up the courage to tell you. I think it unsettles her, honestly."

I wanted to ask more about Anna, but Harry opened his mouth first. "There's a few loose ends here. Where do the trolls fit into this picture? How detrimental is the missing power? Did the ritual leave any dangerous stuff behind?"

"Do you think that's why the faeries are here?" I asked Harry, curiously.

"Possibly," he said quickly.

"We," Pabbie said, indicating himself, "inherited fragments of those same powers. Now we just live here in the Valley, keeping watch on the ritual site but otherwise living a simple existence. The power loss was only a setback, temporary and swiftly repaired."

He fished around in his mossy jacket and pulled out a red crystal. "As for remnants, there's a few pieces scattered about. Most of the ritual devices were either destroyed or locked up, magically and physically."

"What didn't you tell me earlier?" I blurted out as Harry readied to ask another question. He closed his mouth, thoughtful consideration crossing his face. "Why didn't you tell my parents, or me, or Anna? This seems pretty important."

The old troll didn't even hesitate before answering. "What good would it have done? Would you try to fulfill the original purpose of your power, and take up the fight against the Outsiders? There are others who do that far more effectively without having to give up their family and responsibilities." He gave a small chuckle. "Besides, we both know your sister would find a way to follow you."

That made me smile. "Even so, it would have been nice to know how and why I have powers."

Pabbie made a noncommittal gesture. "Possibly. Elsa, even if you had been born magically talented without outside intervention, you would have still been a very rare anomaly. In all honesty, I am still a bit unsure that telling you was the wisest thing to do."

"I'm not exactly going to run off," I began, but Harry shook his head.

"Look Elsa," the wizard said. "Outsiders are the baddest of the bad. Magic doesn't really work against them. Even the most outrageously experienced wizards - the ones who actually understand what they can do and how to counter them - still have serious trouble fighting Outsiders."

Pabbie nodded. "There are individuals whose entire existence is fighting these things. Even your immense power pales beside what they can do, and they have thousands of years of experience. Trust me when I say that you needn't feel obligated in any way."

"I didn't, but I understand." Apparently satisfied, Harry lapsed back into what I now recognized was his 'thinking' posture. He looked curiously at Pabbie for a while, then glanced around the Valley a bit. For my part, I just was just silently thankful that I didn't have to add any extra responsibilities. If Anna had even as much trouble as I did with my magic, it was going to be a very stressful few weeks.

"One last question," Harry eventually asked. "Why here?"

Instead of answering, Pabbie just stared at Harry. His gaze seemed to bore through the wizard, as though he could see directly into Harry's soul. Harry repeated his earlier discomfort, but instead of squirming he returned Pabbie's gaze. "I'm going to tell you this, Sir Knight, only because you have already fought two Walkers and survived. There are few who can claim such."

He turned to point at the ice castle. "If you open a portal to the other side in Elsa's castle, you have to walk about ten feet to the closet Outer Gate to our reality."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Um, ok. Good to know."

We sat in silence for a long moment. I wanted to ask more about Anna, but I wasn't sure what to say. I also wanted to ask about other realities, soulfire, starborns, Outsiders, and Gates, but only after I was sure Anna would be alright. Part of me recognized that my questions had already been answered, but I still feared for my sister's well-being.

Harry was still contemplating Pabbie's last statement, saying nothing. Surprisingly, it was Pabbie that broke the silence. When he did, it was quietly and with a great deal of trepidation. "Harry," he asked with a voice that wavered slightly. "Faeries. Creatures from the other side?"

"Yeah, we call it the Nevernever," Harry replied, apparently unaware of Pabbie's fear. "Look mostly like mortals, generally go over-the-top on the whole beauty thing so they stand out. Can't lie. Usual weaknesses to iron and - " His head whipped around. "Oh, shit."

"What?" I asked, confused.

Harry and Pabbie shared another long glance. "I'll explain on the way home. Suffice to say, Pabbie and the other trolls are going to avoid this conflict at pretty much any cost. And I think I have an idea of what Jenalind's ultimate goal here is, even if I don't understand how she hopes to accomplish that."

"She wants to breach the Gate?" I conjectured.

Harry nodded. "Ok, we need to get back to the castle soon so we can plan our next move. At least we know where they will be." He turned to Pabbie, and extended a hand. "Thanks for your help."

"Knowledge cuts both ways, Sir Knight," Pabbie said seriously. "I hope that by telling you, I am helping instead of hurting."

"What about Anna," I asked when the troll turned to me. "Is she going to be okay?" My voice carried all of the various ways that statement could be interpreted.

"She'll be fine, Elsa," he replied. "Though I was, in retrospect, aiming toward the wrong goal, what I said to you thirteen years ago is still true. Fear, doubt, and anger cloud human judgement and cause people to do all manner of terrible things. Magic amplifies that enormously. However, you and your sister have learned those lessons the hard way." He gave me a smile that was both apologetic and hopeful. "Give her some time, and I'm sure everything will work out."

I said my goodbyes to Pabbie and joined Harry in the sled, but my mind was far elsewhere.


End file.
